


The Heart of a God

by Glass_Prince



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gods, Hate to Love, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ Themes, Other, Repressed Memories, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 22:59:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17435099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Prince/pseuds/Glass_Prince
Summary: All your life, nothing but tragedy has found you. You believe you are cursed, destined to find yourself in only the worst possible situations. Ever since your village burned down through an unknown source, you've been travelling as much as you could, determined to keep your "curse" away from innocents. As the years pass, you begin to grow paranoid as you see ghostly figures at night. Blaming it on your prolonged isolation, you neglect to discover what had been haunting your dreams, and why it watches when you're awake.





	1. And it Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carbon monoxide is dangerous, kids

_ You woke up to screams and cries piercing your ears. Your eyes shot open and you immediately sat up from your bed, wildly searching for the source. You quickly rose and started to sprint for the entrance of your house, praying that the screams weren't serious. As you forced the front door open, your eyes were blinded by the harsh sun and the screams became louder and closer. Peeling your eyelids open, you could see crowded chaos as the people of your town ran as fast as they could. You whipped your head around the area, frantically searching for the cause of the disarray. You stepped down from your porch and immediately got caught in the panicking crowd, hearing the cries of children and being pushed by citizens terrified of...whatever the problem was. Ever the heroic type, you pushed through people, heading the direction they ran away from to see what or who could cause such terror. You could hear those you pushed past yell at you. _

_ “Don't go there!” _

_ “Not that way!” _

_ “Come back!” _

_ “It's not worth it, y/n!” _

_ You blocked out the worried cries of your townsfolk, picking up your pace as much as you could. As you grew nearer to the center of the town, the crowd had begun to thin and you started to hear explosions and fire crackling not too far away. As you pushed past the last trickle of townspeople, you finally saw the havoc they ran from. _

_ Multiple houses had been set on fire and you could see shreds of TNT spread across the darkened sky as they were set off. Black smoke billowed from every roof and most buildings crumbled to the ground. Debris covered the pathway and you could hear screaming coming from beneath the rubble. People were trapped underneath. In a moment of panic, you rushed to the fallen pieces of house, ignoring the putrid smell of the black smoke. You were able to see some of those who were trapped, and were able to pull them out, but others would need to be freed by lifting the carnage. Using the adrenaline you felt to kick your instincts, you moved your shoulder underneath the biggest slab of debris you could find and lifted as much as you could. You could see more folk scurry out and limp away, but you still heard cries for help under more of the rock. Pushing the heavy slab out of the way, you moved on even further into the hot and sweaty end of the town, inhaling more smoke. As you lifted slab after slab of fallen debris, and see more and more people escape, you began to hear the screams subside and your nerves almost began to calm down. Once you headed towards the library at the edge of the town, you felt confident that whatever threat started this had left, for you had not seen anyone or anything that seemed like the source of this mess. However, that feeling was short-lived once you saw the library. The biggest fire you have ever seen surged from the building and swelled to be bigger than structure itself. The darkest smoke erupted from it, and you were certain that the library was the starting point of all this chaos. As you neared the library, you heard one more strained scream for help come from a pile of rubble next to the library, and you recognized the voice as the librarian's. Taking a deep breath through your shirt, you sprinted over to the rubble and began to frantically dig through the heavy pieces of charred wood and stone. As you saw the librarians exposed skin, you pulled on it and any scrap of cloth he was wearing, hoping to lift him from his would-be grave. You could see his hand gripping your shirt weakly. Disengaging him from the debris, you helped him to his feet onto the pathway, listening for any other screams.  As you stopped scanning the rest of the town, you turned back to the librarian to find him running towards the exit of town. You found it odd how he didn't limp. Hearing no other cries for help come from the fire, your body relaxed and you felt like falling down and sleeping. But you forced yourself to move away from the fire, against the fatigue of your sweaty form. The first breath of fresh air you took was glorious. As you felt the clear oxygen fill your lungs, you coughed up a storm and your body felt weak. As you fell to your knees, you started to regret waking up at all. You felt the dangerous chemicals in your body bounce around and it hurt to move. Once the adrenaline subsided, you began to feel tired from the exertion. Your brain screamed at you to stay awake, and as you attempted to obey you found yourself barely awake, crawling to your house on hands and knees. You refused to give up. In your state of survival, you almost didn't see the figure of the librarian idling at the exit. Almost at the porch of your home, you blacked out. _


	2. The Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungles are sweaty, who knew?

A sharp blade cut through the jungle grass, the iron gleem bouncing in the sun. You wipe your forehead of sweat with your shirt, leaving a dark stain on the front. Swinging your sword in front of you, you slice more of the tall grass ahead, carving your way out of the sweaty terrain. Taking a quick swig of water from your leather pouch, you scrunch up at the water, which had grown warm during your trek. Adjusting the large pack on your back, you wished you hadn’t stuffed it so full of stuff before setting out 3 years ago. Sighing, you tried to look out over the grass to see if the biome ended anywhere soon, but all you could see was the tall grass and the giant trees. Not even the sky could be seen through the huge, emerald green leaves, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t feel the heat of the blazing sun.

You froze in place as you heard rustling come from behind you. Gripping your sword tight, you stayed perfectly still as you strained your ears to listen to the unusual noise. Hearing footsteps behind you, you whirled around and struck directly in front of you only to meet air. As you heard a meow below where you attacked, you realized it was only an ocelot and relaxed your muscles. Reaching down to pet it, the wild cat hissed and bounded away. You wondered why it approached you in the first place. You sighed again and wiped your forehead, you’ve been so paranoid lately that it was hard to enjoy the journey you were on. Well, it was less of a journey and more of an escape, really, but the two were close enough.

Ever since you started travelling across different biomes, you hadn’t come across a single hostile creature, no zombies, no skeletons, no spiders, nothing. It was like they just vanished from your life. You couldn’t even remember last time you came across a hostile mob, when you lived in a village it was heavily guarded. You clenched your jaw at the thought of your village. You wiped your face and adjusted your bag again. You furiously swung down at the grass in front of you, scraping against a tree next to it. Haphazard lines etched in tree bark followed you as you made your way through the jungle.

Eventually you resorted to just walking through the grass instead of cutting it, the labor just wasn’t worth it. Small bugs you couldn’t see bit you at every turn, but you just wanted to get out of the stupidly hot biome as fast as possible. The warm breeze that blew unrelentingly in your face eventually cooled down, and you hoped you were getting closer to a new terrain. The sweat that clung to your back started to become cold, and you shivered at the feeling of the cooled down moisture. Feeling you were free at last, you picked up the pace and began to run.

Forgetting yourself in your freedom from the humid hell, you neglected to see that the ground had ended. As you could see the sky again, you slipped and fell off the mossy cliff.


	3. Eyes In The Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broken bones, anyone?

Unfortunately, the jungle you had travelled through turned out to be on a cliff, but fortunately, the fall wasn’t great enough to kill you.

Lying uncomfortably, you stared at the blue sky from atop a birch tree. Your legs were entangled in the ivory branches and your arms were dangling with your bag around the wrists, pulling them towards the ground. Mouth full of leaves, you thank the Gods that none of the branches impaled you. Trying to move, you realize that one of your ankles was badly twisted and your neck had a horrible crick in it. Hoisting your bag onto a branch nearby, you find that both of your arms had bruises all the way to the shoulder, but they worked fine. Reaching up towards your legs, you dislodged your one good ankle from the branches but struggled with the bad one. Carefully placing your back on a sturdy-looking branch, you pulled on the branch trapping your stuck ankle, breaking it but freeing your leg. Slowing swinging your legs over the branch you perched yourself on, you grab onto it with both hands and tediously lowered yourself down to the grass below. Landing on the good ankle, you reached up and retrieved your bag from the branches. Throwing your bag next to you, you slide down the trunk and sit on the cool grass.

Feeling exhausted from your near-death experience, you pull out your rolled up, makeshift sleeping bag from your pack and laid it out in front of you. It wasn’t night yet, but you doubted that you would be leaving this spot for a while due to your twisted ankle. Needing to heal, you pulled out your water pouch and a small sack of foodstuffs, worrying about the size of the supply. Looking inside the food sack, you spotted that several things had been squashed by the impact, and you began to worry for your other items. Taking out all of the ruined food, you tossed it away from you into the forest, but unfortunately it left very little remaining in the sack. Knowing that you were unfit to hunt, you took out only half a bread loaf, trying to ration whatever you had. Eating away at the loaf, you worried about the days to come. You didn’t have enough food to last you during the healing process, and you wondered if it would be too much exertion to hop while chasing game. The thought of you flailing around on one foot trying to catch a cow made you laugh a little. While the feeling was short-lived, you found it almost reinvigorating to be able to still find humor even in this situation.

As the last of the sun dipped down below the mountains, you had broken up the branch you broke off from the tree and made a small fireplace with the flint and steel you had on you. The jungle was hot, but this forest was cold, and the night air had started to chill your exposed skin. You almost missed the heat of the jungle. Shuffling your way into your sleeping bag, you stared at the small fire you made slowly eat at the wood. You were so focused on the crackling of the flame that you almost missed hearing the crack of a twig behind you.

Sitting up so quickly made your ankle hurt like hell, but you snatched up your bag as fast as you could in search of your sword. As you heard footsteps approaching you, you hoisted yourself upwards with your good ankle and turned to face whatever disturbed you. You knew you wouldn't be able to chase it if it ran, but you know that if it was a passive creature the sight of your weapon would make it leave you alone to sleep. But when you expected something like a large animal or zombie, you were met with...eyes.

They were huge, or maybe it was the glow of them that made them seem huge. Large, white, glowing eyes stared at yours with a burning intensity and with an emotion you couldn't pinpoint. They held no iris or pupil, only a blank white that rivaled the brightness of your fireplace. You tried to squint your eyes in an attempt to see the face that harbored such eyes, but their glow drowned out any color from the shadows, masking it in either the stark light or the natural darkness. Your own tired eyes tried to see the rest of the figure's body, but the new moon and the forest's shade combined completely cloaked whoever stood in front of you. You stood still and strained your ear for a sign of life from this person, a breath or a shuffle of the feet. When you heard the figure breathing softly, only then did you feel confident enough to talk to them.

“Who are you?” your voice was weak from being winded, but in the too-quiet forest, it was loud.

You saw the eyes lean up a bit, you assumed that this person had straightened up, or moved their head. It was an odd movement, almost robotic.

Without answering, the entity had turned around and started to walk away.

Feeling confused and curious, you tried to follow the figure into the woods, holding onto tree trunks for support. But before you got any further than the nearest tree, the person suddenly whipped around, eyes blinding you. You ducked your face down and you could hear the person come closer. You dared not look up, and shut your eyes from the light. 

You heard the person speak to you. Their low, masculine voice reaching your ears.

“It's all a dream.” you could hear how robotic the voice was, how monotonous it sounded, how unremarkable. Your mind, however, relaxed at the rhythm of it, and you found yourself starting to fall asleep.

Before any more words could be exchanged, you fell right where you stood and fell into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.


	4. Feeling Watched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y/n needs a therapist

When you woke up, you could hear the breeze ruffling the leaves of the forest around you. You groggily sat up and rubbed your eyes. Feeling a slight ache in your leg, you look down and see that the swelling in your bad ankle had gone down marginally. You were shocked by how much it's healed, but you weren't complaining. You rubbed your face, which had a bump right on the forehead. You remember passing out suddenly last night.

Last night. That dream.

You closed your eyes tightly, trying to remember what happened. It all seemed so real. The glowing eyes, the deep voice.

You looked over to the fireplace you set up last night, only to see the charred remains of birch sitting in a pathetic pile. You could remember the warmth on your face, how soothing it was.

‘I must've been real tired.’ you thought, staring at the blackened wood heap.

Fully awake, you decided to forget about the dream and get up as best you could to see if refilling your food supply was attainable. Placing your palms on a nearby tree trunk, you hoisted yourself onto your good ankle. You thought that since your bad ankle wasn't as swollen, you could try to walk on it to gather some more food and fresh water. Testing the waters, you placed your bad leg firmly on the ground and applied pressure. To your surprise, while it stung a bit, you could walk on it perfectly fine.

‘Good Notch, that's some fast healing.’ you thought while flexing your ankle back and forth. You could remember the last time you had broken a bone, it had taken more than a week to heal enough so you could use it.

Slowly making your way over to your bag, you reach inside and pull out your almost empty food sack and water pouch, along with your sword. Leaving your sleeping bag and burnt out fireplace behind, you throw your bag over your shoulder and began limping through the birch forest.

Preparing for a hunt was easy, but actually finding something to hunt was another thing entirely. You had walked through the forest for a good bit of time and had seen no living creature. You were starting to worry about being able to feed yourself, and it showed in your mannerisms.

Whenever you got anxious, you would begin to feed your habits. Biting your lip, picking at skin, plucking out hair, you did it all. It was obvious you had something going on inside to everyone outside. You wished it wasn't so painfully obvious you had anxiety but you really couldn't help it. Besides, it didn't really help that you felt watched the entire time you searched for animals. You couldn’t help but think back to the dream you had.

‘Why can't I just forget that dream?’ you thought, fingers picking at your cuticles. You internally cursed yourself for dissociating for so long. You haven't been to a village in years and it showed. You blamed your own isolation for the strange dreams you had, for the panicked feelings of being watched, for the stupid decisions you unconsciously made.

Your eyes watered at all the thoughts you had, all you wanted was to forget the fire ever happened, to forget the feeling of smoke in your lungs, to find a new life to live and be happy. You just wanted to settle, to find a place to be in for the rest of your life surrounded in prosperity and happiness.

But it seemed you never could get far enough away from your home village.

You felt the wind slap your face harshly, drawing out the tears that had collected on your eyelid. You felt the warm fluid roll down your face and you quickly wiped it away. But the pressure from just moving seemed to be enough to free the rest of the liquid you wished to hold back. In as little as a second, your face was barraged in hot tears that you couldn't stop.

So you stood there and cried silently for all the things you wished could've been. You didn't hate yourself, no. But you did regret. It was strange to regret something you've never done, but you did anyway. You don't know why, but you just did.

And that was it.

And the feeling of being watched never did go away.

You wished you could go to a village, to see other people and be sociable and have at least a feeling of freedom. You don't know why you never visited one before but you suppose fear runs deep. If one village you loved so much catches on fire, who could say the fate for the next one? All your life, tragedy had found you and only you. How could you not think you were cursed? It was only a matter of time before your curse took your home.

Soon, you had run out of tears to cry. You were painfully reminded of your original journey.

You slowly starting walking again, trying to spot a water source. The sadness still leaving you hiccuping quietly very now and then. You found a lake not too far off, and you dipped your water pouch in and drank from it. The cool liquid refreshed you. It wasn't much, but you did feel a bit better.

Wiping your cheeks from the partially dried tears, you sat down next to the still water just to see the reflection of the late day sun. You just sat there and watched the sun set slowly over the trees. You wondered if you could sit out there all night without sleeping.

The thought you had soon dissipated as you felt your stomach grumble in hunger. You still needed to find some food.

Standing up, you tried to formulate in your head on how to get food without hunting. You could shake trees to find fruit, but birch trees don't carry fruit. You could dig in the grass for seeds, but farming takes a long time and you couldn't wait around for so long just to eat. You squinted towards the fading sun and ran your hands through your hair.

As the the sun disappeared behind the horizon, you could see the pale moon peek over the treetops. As you stood and pondered, the feeling of being watched weighed heavily on you. And as much as you hated the feeling, a part of you hoped that the feeling was accurate and that someone was near you. As much as you don't want to admit it, you are sociable and need interaction with people to stay sane, to remind you that you aren't alone in the world. You sighed and watched the moon slowly rise and the sky turn darker yet darker. And in the darkness of the night, you could see light over the trees on top of a hill.

A feeling of relief washed over you as you recognized the guard tower as one from a village.


	5. The Village On The Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The local innkeeper is cute, abandon ship

Walking as fast as you could back to your makeshift camp, you had begun to get excited. No longer would you be isolated from civilization. You could talk to others, live in a real house, trade for resources, have food at the ready; it all seemed so thrilling to have a chance at normalcy.

Arriving at the camp, you hastily rolled up your sleeping bag and stuffed it in your pack. Kicking away the charred fireplace, you turned back to where you saw the village and begun to speed walk.

You couldn't stop thinking about what you would do once you arrived. You sort of knew why you stayed away from villages, ever since the fire, but you also knew that recovery doesn't mean avoiding what irks you. You knew you would go crazy staying in the wild all your life, just look at the bizarre dreams you've had! You needed socialization, 3 years without company was already bad enough.

Finding your way back to the lake, you looked up and saw it glowing under the dark sky. The bright torches looked so inviting and warm, you couldn't wait to get there.

‘Hopefully the people are nice.’ you wondered, stepping into the shallow lake.

Wading through the water, you dipped your water pouch once more and hoisted yourself on the other side. You shook your legs free from the clinging moisture and continued on your trek.

Finally making it to the large hill the village was stationed on, you grabbed your pick out of your bag and begun to scale the steep slope.

As you struggled upwards, you had felt it again. The feeling of being watched slapped you in the face and made you slip on a rock. Catching yourself, you wondered if you should look back. Thinking that it was a terrible idea, you continued to climb the hill, trying to convince yourself it was only a feeling.

Sooner than expected, your hands had grazed the top of the hill. You lifted your legs up on the ledge and rolled over on top of your pickaxe. Feeling the point dig into your shirt, you sat up and put the tool back into your bag.

Standing up, you looked towards the village that stretched on before you. The great stone wall surrounding it had guard towards on each side, and you could spot guards in each of them. You started to feel nervous, what if they saw you as a threat? You didn't have much combat knowledge, you would surely lose if they fought you.

Taking a deep breath, you reached into your bag and retrieved a coal piece and a stick. Striking the stick with the coal, you had a brightly glowing torch. Holding it in front of you, you approached the wall slowly, waiting for one of the guards to notice you. And for once, one of your ideas worked.

“Who goes there?” you could hear the gruff voice of a guard demand you, the sheer volume of his words ringing in your ear.

“Just a traveller! I mean no harm!” you called back, holding up your free arm to show you had no weapon.

“Why are you here?” He demanded.

You could see the guard from the other tower notice you as well. You started to feel nervous again, what could you say? The choices ran through your head like bullets, there were many reasons why you were there, how could you pick one?

“I...I've come for shelter!” you said, your statement sounding almost like a question.

It was lame, but it was the only convenient one, and it wasn't a lie.

You could see, even in the dark, the guard considering your answer. You hoped to the Gods it was enough to get you in.

“From what?” you heard the guard once again shout.

You felt your heart drop. How could you explain that? There were no mobs after you, therefore no reason for shelter. As you considered your options again, you heard another voice ring out in the night.

“For Notch's sake, Matt! Let the poor thing in, won't you? No one  _ needs _ a reason for shelter, it's a right!” a woman's voice yelled across the two towers.

You looked up into the tower opposite from where you were speaking, you could see another guard leaning out the window.

“I need to make sure this traveller has no ill intent!” you heard the guard, Matt, yell back.

“I don't know about you, but i haven't seen any evidence of ill intent! It's not like they're trying to burn down the town!” you heard the other guard retort.

You were beginning to tire from the guards’ bickering, you just wanted to sleep in a house and eat fresh food, is that so much to ask?

You tuned out the petty argument until you heard the front gate open. Looking up, you saw that the guards have stopped talking and that one was staring at you intently.

“You may enter.” you heard the first guard say, annoyance evident in his voice.

Shouting your thanks, you walked through the large wooden gates and found yourself on a neat little road of cobblestone. Houses sat on each side of the road, signs on the front doors with the names of people and stores. You could see flower beds containing pretty shades of reds and yellows and blues. While it was a cute sight, you didn't know where to go now.

You considered that there might be a mayor or some important elder like in your old town, but you didn't know where to find them. Wandering around aimlessly, you only managed to find stores and other people's houses. The town, while pretty, was a maze.

Eventually, you stumbled across an inn.

Thank. Notch.

You sighed with relief that the lights were still on inside the inn. You extinguished the torch you still held. You opened the doors carefully, and peeked inside. You saw a tall woman behind a counter, reading a large book. Taking a deep breath, you opened the door the rest of the way, jingling a bell overhead. The woman looked up and saw you, a small smile gracing her face.

“Hello, i've never seen you before.” she said, her voice soft and melodic.

You felt anxious at the thought of talking to her, she seemed so sincere and sweet that it twisted your gut when she smiled. You gave her a small wave, staring at the paintings on that walls.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked softly.

You turned your attention to her again, walking over to the counter she stood behind. You shuffled your feet, trying to find the right words.

“A room...please…” you awkwardly said, twiddling your thumbs.

“Sure, hon, how long will you stay?”

“Oh, i uh...i don't know..”

Well this night is a disaster.

You looked at the woman's eyes, she had much patience behind them. It probably wasn't the first time she had awkward travellers. She turned around and grabbed a key, setting it in front of you.

“Well even if you don't know how long, it costs one emerald a night. Just let me know when you wish to leave, alright?” she said, smiling comfortingly at you.

“Yeah...okay…” you stuttered, reaching into your bag for emeralds.

You had kept a small amount of emeralds on you from when you first left home. You had planned on going to another village, but you abandoned the idea. Luckily, you still kept them on you, even if you forgot they were there most of the time.

Setting one of the green gems in front of the lady, she took it and set it into a wooden chest. She turned back to you and smiled, gesturing towards the key she set in front of you.

“Hope you sleep well, hon.”

“Thanks...you too…”

Taking the key as quick as you could, you stumbled over to the staircase near the entrance.

‘I am never speaking again.’ you thought, anxiety still pumping your heart.

Looking at the number on the key, you found the right room and unlocked it. Looking inside you saw a large bookshelf next to a double bed, a desk with a chair, a double chest, and a redstone lamp illuminating the room.

Throwing yourself onto the bed, you buried your face into the pillow and screamed into it for the terrible conversation you just had.

Feeling tired from your journey and the screaming, you throw your bag into the double chest and kick off your worn boots. You had horrid blisters on your feet, and you cursed not stuffing your shoes with wool. At least you were accustomed to them.

Reaching over to the redstone lamp switch, you pulled it and and submerged yourself in darkness. Closing your eyes, you realized you were more tired than you thought. Drifting off into dreamland, you swear you could hear a voice whispering to you.

“ _ Sweet dreams y/n… _ ”

You fell asleep, scared of what images you would see in your dreams.


	6. Steven, The First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's awkward as hell, don't let him fool you

_ You could hear the banging of hammers on nails as you approached the house. The well in the center of the marketplace was in terrible shape, but it still held water. You stepped up on the almost dilapidated porch, hearing the creaking of planks beneath you. Fumbling with the door knob, you cursed at your shaking hands. Finally getting it open, you step inside and take a deep breath of home. _

_ Walking through the living room, you open the door to your bedroom. You immediately begin to stuff a bag you found with important items. Tools, gems, stone, wood, wool, food; anything you found important went into the bag. You wheezed from the exertion, your lungs begging you to take a break. You still hadn’t fully recovered from the fire. _

_ Grabbing warm clothes, you stuffed them into the already bulging bag. Sitting back and breathing heavily, you stared at the ceiling that seemed to go on forever. The spirals of wood teased your eyes and it felt like you were floating. You closed your eyes but the vision never disappeared. _

_ You felt heavy. _

_ Suddenly, you felt the floor give from under you. You fell down into a dark hole and landed on hard floor but never felt the impact. You shot up, lungs protesting. You reached for a sword but you were unarmed. You could see a chair made of bedrock in front of you, a strange figure sitting on it. _

_ Its body seemed warped, but you could see its clothes. Aqua blue seemed striking against the pitch black of the walls. Its skin tone was sunkissed and its hair was like dark tree bark. Pants a deep navy and heavy work boots a cloudy grey, you analyzed every inch of whoever this was. _

_ All but the face. _

_ Its face was blurry. You could make out the outline of a beard, but anything above it was blurry and distorted. Its head was tilted up, and you knew that it was staring at you. You saw its warbled mouth open and sharp white teeth smiled at you. You can't see its eyes, but you could tell they glowed. A fine white mist protruded from its eyes; a long tail which looked like a ghost. You couldn't see its eye color but you didn't want to, its stare was enough to make you uncomfortable. _

_ You felt frozen in place as the figure smiled menacingly at you. You stared back as long as you could but you wanted to look away. There was something behind those eyes, a raw power you could never hope to understand. You felt exposed in front of those eyes, as if they stripped you of skin, muscle, and bone. You felt cold and lonely, as if the figure in front of you wasn't even alive. _

_ You suddenly felt the hair on your body stand on end as the figure stood up from its chair. You backed away from it, but you only hit a wall. It walked slowly towards you, smile never disappearing. You screamed but you couldn't make a sound, your mouth never opened and your teeth never unclenched. You could only stare back at those distorted eyes. _

_ You could feel the figure approach, its looming shadow cloaking your form. You only stared back, feeling helpless. You could make out more details of its face. The dark hairs on its chin looked like cactus needles, and you could see freckles dotting most of the bottom half of its face. You could hear its breath. _

_ It was all too real. Much too real. _

_ There was something in your gut when you stared into its eyes. A familiar feeling. Not a good one, but a one you've known before. Its smile was new and uncomfortable but the eyes, even warped, were ever glowing. _

_ “You're from the forest.” _

_ Its smile vanished. _

-

You woke up, sweat soaking your sheets.

You clawed at your clothes until they came off, throwing them on the floor. Kicking off the thick blankets, you snatched up your bag and ruffled through it for extra clothes. Finding a spare shirt, you throw it on and fall back onto the bed, regretting it instantly. The sweat the soaked into the bedding squished under you and you shot back up immediately. Fortunately, none of the sweat stained your shirt. Unfortunately, you have to wash the sheets now.

Bunching up the thick bedding, you tucked it under your arm and walked out of your room. You tried going to the front desk for the nice lady you spoke to last night, but no one was behind the counter. Feeling anxious, you turned back around and started wandering through the inn, looking for someplace that looked like a laundry room.

Soon enough you did find a laundry room, but there weren't any people there either. You didn't understand why you couldn't find anyone in the inn. Throwing your sheets on a pile of other dirty sheets, you walked around the building again in search of other staff members or patrons.

But you still couldn't find or hear anyone.

Feeling anxious again, you decided to go outside for fresh air. Maybe everyone just wakes up super early?

Opening the doors of the inn you were met with the sounds of screaming.

Adrenaline pumped through your every vein and your vision sharped. You almost slipped off the stone steps as you sprinted towards the sound, pulse pumping hard through your every limb. You sniffed the air like crazy, trying to smell for smoke, but you couldn't find anything suspicious at all.Your body protested the sudden exercise with all the anxiety and adrenaline coursing through you.

You turned a sharp corner, tripping on the dirt road. You fell to your knees, hands catching your fall. The rocks in the pathway scratched at your palms and drew blood, but you didn't feel it in this state. You scrambled up and kept moving as fast as your legs could. You stumbled on the path as it inclined upwards, but you knew you were heading in the right direction for the screams had increased in volume. You reached the summit of the slope and continued running towards the noise, eyes scanning right and left for a crowd of people. You felt your heart quake as you came closer to the sound. You saw a crowd in the distance, standing in what you assumed is the town square.

Wait, standing?

You began to slow down as you neared the large crowd, realizing that they weren't moving at all. You approached the people, heart still frantic in your chest. You halted right before you bumped into someone, doubling over to catch your breath.

Drawing attention from the nearest person to you, you heard a kind voice trying to speak over the screaming.

“Are you alright, my friend?” the person said, voice close to your ear so you could hear.

It took some time to steady your breathing before you could answer, but the nice villager held your shoulder patiently.

You couldn't keep your eyes off the crowd in front of you, you spotted colorful streamers and hands waving in the air. You didn't understand it.

“Why...why is there...a crowd?” you sputtered, breath still not caught.

The villager looked curiously at you, but smiled. Patting your shoulder comfortingly, he gestured towards the crowd.

“We planned this for some time now! We heard that an important traveller was coming to our town so we conducted a celebration!” The person cheerfully said, eyes shining with excitement.

You looked up at the villager and saw how happy he seemed about this traveller.

‘Wow, they must be one noble traveller to be so popular.’ you thought, still not fully recovered from the former shock.

Understanding the situation, you waved off the kind villager and continued to stay behind the crowd, listening to the cheers and screams of their excitement. You were glad no one was in trouble but you wished you knew beforehand. This celebration seemed a bit much for just one traveller, but you didn't question it.

You thought that maybe you might know whoever was visiting but you doubted it. Every popular traveller you could think of was some big hot-shot celebrity. The chances of a celebrity visiting a random village was nonexistent with your luck.

Feeling only slightly better, you sat down in the grass beside the dirt road. You contemplated heading back to the inn, but it would be awkward without anyone else in the building. You decided it would be best to stay where the people were, just so you weren't alone, even if it was loud.

You laid down on your back, trying to release the tension from your body. You took deep breaths for a little while before you heard the crowd quiet down a bit. You could still hear laughter and chatting, but the volume dramatically dropped. You smiled at the change, it was nice to give your ears a break.

Feeling a bit more peaceful, you closed your eyes and listened to see if you could hear the voice of the special traveller. Wish being granted, you were able to pick out a voice different from everyone else's. You couldn't hear enough to describe it, but you guessed it belonged to someone masculine.

Opening your eyes again, you felt exhausted from the wasted energy you spent. You struggled to sit yourself up, but you were eventually able to stand. Feeling bored of the celebration already, you decided to tough out the feeling of loneliness and head back to the inn to nap off the exhaustion.

‘Only the morning and I'm already going to take a nap.’ you thought, trudging all the way to the inn.

Pushing the doors open, you walked through the hall back to your room. Opening the bedroom door, you remembered that the sheets of the bed were still untouched in the laundry room. Groaning, you sat on the mattress feeling defeated. You could wash the sheets yourself but you had no idea how the machines worked and you didn't want to mess it up. You had always hand washed clothes and sheets, being in a more modern town culture shocked you.

You laid down on top of the mattress, missing the thick sheets that hid the feeling of the metal springs. You  _ could  _ probably sleep like this, you slept on worse in the wild, but you didn't think it was worth it for a short nap.

You rolled off the bed and started wandering around the room, exploring the nooks and crannies. You pulled several books off the bookshelves but none caught your eye. Resorting to turning the redstone lamp on and off repeatedly for entertainment, you almost wished you had neighbors to chat with.

Feeling bored, you decided to get up and take a walk outside. Before you could, however, you heard an army of footsteps approaching the building loudly. Making your way to your bedroom window, you saw the crowd from the celebration outside the inn entrance. You couldn't see much below their heads but you noticed that the crowd did not attempt to cram themselves into the lobby, thankfully.

You heard the bell jingle downstairs and heard footsteps come in.

‘Of course,’ you thought, ‘I'll have a new neighbor.’

You sighed and hoped that you didn't have to talk to this person. You cursed yourself for wishing you had a neighbor.

Groaning at the thought of someone new in the building who might be sociable, you stopped flicking the redstone lamp switch and sat up. Standing, you get closer to your door to listen to whatever they might be saying.

“Lovely sky today, isn't it?” you heard an unfamiliar voice chirp. You guessed that it was the traveller.

“Yes! It's so clear!” you could hear the innkeeper saying, her voice chipper and excited.

You pulled your ear away from the wooden door and frowned. If this traveller enjoyed small talk, he could undoubtedly hold long conversations. You could hear the jingle of keys and footsteps not too long later. And, to your dismay, those footsteps stopped near your door.

‘Just my luck.’ you thought miserably.

You heard the door next to yours unlock and creak open and you heard the mysterious traveller step inside the room. You crossed your fingers that he wouldn't talk to you. Counting the minutes that passed, you felt relieved that he didn't knock on your door. A part of you believed this was because he didn't even know you existed, which was perfectly fine. Some other part of you felt lonely, wishing that he would at least say hello. Mentally kicking that latter half, you flopped onto the naked mattress, causing a loud creak to erupt from the metal springs.

You heard a shuffle come from the other room.

‘Why me?’ you groaned internally.

You heard the door of the room next to yours open, creaking the whole way. You held your head in your hands as you heard a soft knock on your door. You considered staying where you were, pretending you weren’t there until he left. Your gut twisted when you thought of how rude it would be to do that.

‘Why can’t I make up my mind? Do I want company or not?’ you thought, pressing your palms into your face harder.

You felt as if you kept him waiting long enough. You would open the door, say hi, say goodbye, and ask the innkeeper how the laundry machines worked so you could take a nap.

‘Easy said and done’ You thought proudly, at least your anxiety was good for planning.

Standing up from the mattress, you strode over to the door and gripped the handle.

‘Just get it over with’ You pleaded internally.

You swung open the door. You stared at the guest eye to eye and couldn’t believe the sight you saw.

He looked exactly like the figure from your dreams.

Staring at him with your mouth agape, the traveller peered down at you with big blue eyes of curiosity. His hair was wind-blown but it was dark like tree bark, his skin tone was sunkissed and freckled, and his clothes the exact same shades of blue. The only thing that seemed to change was that his beard was shorter and you could see his eyes.

Dear Notch, his eyes.

They were the most gorgeous shade of blue you ever saw and they held a softness and gentleness that made your knees buckle. They looked down at you and seemed to sparkle and shine with such nobility. They were utterly beautiful.

And they stared right at you.

“Hello! are you the other traveller the inn lady told me about?” His voice was deep and noble, smooth like butter and confident in tone. He smiled at you and your heart fluttered anxiously.

“Yes...Yes, I think so…?” You answered him with uncertainty, you were too nervous to give a straight answer.

“You  _ think _ so?” He asked, laughter in his voice.

Your mouth was dry and you felt insecure in front of this man. You felt like you weren’t worthy to speak to such a gorgeous person. You wondered if your hair looked okay or if your back was straight.

‘Why do I care so much?’ you thought, but you couldn’t help it. For some reason you felt as if you had to impress this man somehow, as if he  _ needed  _ to be impressed.

‘Notch help me, i’ve been isolated from people for too long.’ you thought miserably. You weren’t used to being in the presence of someone who seemed so...Godly.

Choking on your spit a small bit, you nod curtly as a response to his earlier question. It's not like there are any other travellers in this building he could bother anyway.

But something still bothered you.

‘Why was he in my dreams?’ you thought, still mesmerized by the eyes that remained connected with yours.

“Well, I just thought I would stop by to say hello! I don't meet many other travellers, you see.” he said.

You found it odd how he tried to keep conversation going despite your manner, was he lonely like you? Daring to close your eyes, you turned your head away from his hypnotic stare. How do you deal with this? Normally when you stay quiet during conversation, people leave you alone but this man was stupendously patient.

Who was he, anyway? You realized he never shared his name, and you never shared yours.

“What's...your name?” you stuttered, eyes trained on the floor.

“Oh, well, uh…” the man before you hesitated. You were surprised a simple question seemed to stump him.

You looked up at him again. His stance became awkward. You blinked in surprise at his behavior. He was so conversational before.

“My name is Steven...Just call me Steve.” he muttered, eyes drifting down.

Your eyes widened. Steven? It couldn't be...

“Are you…?” you choked out, unable to finish.

He looked suddenly awkward. It shocked you how his manner changed in such a short amount of time. You cleared your throat, your mouth felt dry again.

“Are you...Steven, The First?” you asked, finally able to finish.

He sighed and nodded. You felt bad for asking, he looked so uncomfortable. You rubbed your arm, feeling like you ruined your first impression. Probably sensing your distress, he put his hand on your shoulder in comfort.

“It's alright to ask, I don't get it very often anyway. Normally people recognize me firsthand, so you asking is quite refreshing.” he said, giving a comforting smile.

You gaped at the large hand on you. It was a gentle pressure but you've heard of his strength. You couldn't believe you were speaking to Steven, The First.

Ever since you first moved into your old village, you heard stories of various famous travellers. Erin, The Golden; Fiona, The Fair; Collin, The Master; all different travellers you grew to admire through their stories. The most important of all those famous travellers, however, was Steven, The First. He was told to be ageless, handsome, impossibly strong, heroic, intelligent, and the first creation of Notch himself. You shook your head to try and get over the shock.

“Are you alright?” you heard him say. Looking back up at him you realize that you must have been staring at his hand.

How embarrassing.

You wished you weren't so awkward around him. You wished you could just hold a normal conversation without stuttering or staring. You didn't want to make him uncomfortable. You felt stressed, you never prepared for this. You expected an ordinary everyday traveller, not a celebrity.

“I'm sorry...I'm not used to...to talking much…” you stuttered, feeling tiny under his gaze.

He stopped smiling and you felt as if you've done something wrong. The hand never left your shoulder and you wanted to leave this conversation.

“There's no need to apologize…” he said quietly, a comforting tone lacing his voice.

You nodded, feeling childish. You tried to break eye contact but you found yourself continuing to stare into his deep blue eyes, searching for a clue on how he's feeling.

“Would you mind of I come inside?” he asked, gesturing towards your room.

Your eyes widened, did he want to continue to talk to you? Why? You didn't understand, you were awkward and jittery and non-conversational.

But how could you refuse?


	7. And He Never Said Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like some good ol' angst

You gently rocked back and forth on your behind, nervously sitting on your mattress. Next to you was Steven, twiddling his thumbs and scanning the room with his eyes. You felt immensely uncomfortable sitting so close to a personal hero of yours, you wanted to speak but couldn't think of what to say. What _could_ you say?

Your mind drifted to the dream you had last night.

‘Oh Gods not that!’ you thought with terror. How could you possibly bring up dreaming about someone smoothly?

You took a deep breath to try and steady your flustered heart. You saw Steven glance at you in your peripheral vision and you felt self conscious.

‘Notch help me.’ you thought, feeling your face grow warm.

You heard Steven clear his throat and you waited on edge to see what he would say. His blue eyes stared at yours but you refused to make direct eye contact. It was awkward enough as it is.

“How long have you been travelling?” he asked politely and you almost flinched at the attempt of small talk. You didn't like small talk.

“About 3 years...you?” you muttered, shifting your sitting position.

It was a stupid question but you really couldn't think of anything else to say to follow up your response. You were actually curious what his answer would be but the question itself sounded so lame and stupid that you couldn't help but cringe internally.

“About...well…” you heard him trail off. He seemed thoughtful and his eyes drifted away from you.

Could he not remember? Was it that long?

“About 10 years almost, I think…” he finished, uncertainty lacing his voice.

You gaped at his answer, a whole decade of nothing but travel? You shuddered at how lonely that must be.

You glanced at him and you saw he no longer tried to looked at you. You realize how lonely it must be for someone like him. No wonder he small talked, everywhere he went people celebrated him and his arrival to towns but other than that he probably didn't talk much. You felt bad for being so quiet at him, he probably wanted to talk about common interests, not have someone oogle his greatness.

Your prolonged staring caught his attention and you felt embarrassed by his gaze. You averted your eyes and tried to think of something to say that would be better than travelling.

You thought of the dream again.

You cringed at the thought of talking about yourself. Would he even be interested? It was worth a try.

“Uh...this might sound weird but, uh…” you started, not sure how to smoothly bring it into conversation.

You look back at him and he stared back with expectancy. Maybe he could handle your ramblings if you could just think of what to say next.

“Well...I had a really strange dream last night and you were there.” you quickly finished, rushing your words.

He blinked and smiled and you felt a bit better for finally coming up with a conversation topic. He continued to stare, encouraging you to continue.

“And uh...you were the only person there besides me, you were sitting in front of me and smiling weirdly and I couldn't see your face clearly.” you blurted, just letting the words fall out as you think them.

You could see that Steven was interested, his hand propping up his face which was concentrated on you. It felt nice to just talk without thinking.

“The strangest thing is was that it looked like you but _older_ , the beard was longer and everything, and I don't mean too much longer, just longer.” you animatedly spoke, waving your hands around your face to enforce what you said.

“And your face was all blurred out! I could see your mouth and hair but I couldn't see your eyes! But they were glowing, and I mean they were _bright!_ ” you started to gain volume, just a bit more confidence than how you started.

But as you spoke of his eyes you saw a shift in Steven's face. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips formed a tight line. You trailed off as you saw the change.

“And the eyes looked like the ones I once saw in...in...are you okay?” you asked, worriedly.

You saw him blink at you confusedly, as if just remembering you were there.

“Oh, yes...I'm alright, you can continue.” he said, offering a small smile.

You were a bit concerned at the sudden shift of his face and you found it hard to continue the dream story.

“Oh, well, uh...the eyes, they looked like...like ones I saw before in another dream…” you trailed off, unable to keep going.

Steven looked up at you curiously, his smile fading.

“Are _you_ alright?” he asked, now his turn to be worried.

You glanced into his eyes and shrugged, you found it difficult to find the right words again. How can you tell someone you feel insecure because of a face they make? You rubbed your arm, trying to formulate a sentence.

“It's just...you made a weird face and...I just got worried…” you nervously muttered, hoping you wouldn't offend him.

Steven's eyebrows raised and he looked suddenly flustered.

“Oh! Sorry about that, it's just...your dream…reminds me of someone…” he stuttered.

You looked at Steven in surprise. Reminds him of someone? Who could possibly be like who you described other than him? Did he have a twin? Your eyebrows knitted at you thought of possibilities.

“Who is it?” you asked, curiosity building up.

He cringed and looked away. You regretted asking. Obviously it's not a good memory. Feeling awful, you decide not to say anymore. You didn't want to push him.

You got an answer nonetheless.

“I had...a kind of brother, I suppose. We looked similar but acted much differently. I...haven't seen him in years...not since…” Steven trailed off, looking away as his voice got quieter. You blinked in surprise. A brother?

‘So he _does_ have a twin.’ you thought, staring at the back of his head. You wondered what his name was.

You wondered what happened to him.

Placing your hand on Steven's back, in what you hope was comforting towards him, you saw him tense under your touch. He relaxed eventually but you still felt tremendously awkward trying to comfort the much larger man. You could sense his distress.

“It's alright. Just hard to remember…” he said eventually, turning back towards you. His blue eyes held an emotion you couldn't place.

“I should...leave. I still have some unpacking and planning to do.” he said, standing up. You felt your hand slip off of his back as he stood, hanging at your side.

He left the room without looking back and you wondered if you said something wrong.

‘I probably shouldn't have asked about his brother…’ you thought, staring at the door.

Getting off the springy mattress, you remembered you still had sheets that need to be cleaned. Opening your door, you could see the late afternoon sun through the hallway windows. Have you been talking for that long? You wandered awkwardly through the hall searching for the lobby. Finally finding it, you see that the innkeeper was, thankfully, still there.

“Hey, hon. Is everything alright?” she greeted, giving a small wave. You gulped and stumbled over to her.

“Do you...can you...tell me how the...laundry machines work?” you stuttered, staring at the floor.

She giggled and shook her head.

“No, hon, you don't have to use the machines. That's what staff’s for. If whatever you want clean isn't by tonight, It'll probably be by tomorrow, alright?” she chirped, eyes full of cheer.

You nodded and gave a curt thanks, turning on your heels and walking back into the hall. You were still trying to recover from your earlier conversation and you were upset that you weren't given something to do to distract from it.

‘Oh well, I guess all I can do is...wait.’ you thought, arriving at your door and feeling miserable. Pushing open the door, you sigh heavily.

Looking over the room you notice a figure standing at your bookcase.

You freeze, your entire body going rigid. You stare at the figure as it grazed it fingers over the book spines. You begin to sweat, your palms becoming slick while still stuck to the door handle. You were scared to breathe. You _knew_ this was your room, you couldn't have walked into the wrong place.

“None of these seem interesting. It's a shame since there's so many.” the figure spoke, a deep monotone voice breaking the horrible silence.

You choked on air. Finally focusing on the figure instead of your presence, you saw that it was clothed in an aqua shirt and navy pants.

“Steven? I...I thought you wanted...to be alone…” you begun, heart still racing.

You heard the figure laugh and you saw his shoulders bounce up and down. You realized they were much more narrow than Steven's. You looked down at his hands and saw that _they_ were much smaller than Steven's, too. Your heart skipped a beat.

This wasn't Steven.

“I don't look _that_ much like him, do I?” the figure asked, between laughs.

You stared dumbfounded at him. Who could this be? You thought back to what Steven was talking about before. His brother. His twin.

“Are you…?” you choked, unable to finish.

The stranger turned slightly towards you and you assumed that he could see you now. You wondered how you appeared to him, frozen in fear.

“Are you...Steven's brother?” you finished, finding it hard to breathe properly.

You heard the laughter die and the silence that followed unnerved you. You realized you still held the door knob and let go, the sweat on your palms cooling in the open air. You swallowed and tried to control your heartbeat. Trying to keep your breathing quiet, you waited for his response.

“I am...no brother of his.” he finally said, his voice quiet and laced in an emotion you couldn't place.

You waited for him to continue but nothing else came from the strange man. You wondered what he was thinking.

“Do you like him?” you heard him mumble, voice almost too quiet to hear.

Your eyebrows raised. You think he was talking about Steven but how did _he_ know him? You took a step forward as quietly as you could, trying to get a better look at this man.

“I don't...know him at all…” you answered truthfully. You were still scared of this stranger but he hasn't harmed you yet.

You stopped moving towards him as you saw him turn around. He faced you with his eyes closed but his face was eerily familiar. His beard was longer and his face more narrow than Steven's but he looked almost exactly the same. His head and facial hair was unkempt and unruly and you saw dark circles underneath his eyes, he wore a necklace made of small iron chains.

“Who are you?” you asked, staring at his closed eyes. You wished he would open them so you could see their color.

He smiled at you and you could see the sharp white teeth glint at you.

‘Deja vu...’ you thought, feeling as if you were in a dream again.

“Could you...open your eyes?” you ask hesitantly. You needed to know what they looked like. You had to know if it was _him_ you dreamt of.

You saw the smile fade and you were afraid he would refuse.

“If I did such a thing, you would run from or fight me.” he said.

You blinked in surprise. He waltzes into your room uninvited and _now_ he is worried about you fighting or running? It's not like you _could_ fight anyway. The thought of having to run or fight scared you but you haven't had to yet. You still needed to know who this strange man was and why he was in your room.

“I wouldn't do that,” you said, trying to sound confident, “Unless you hurt me I don't have any reason to...run or fight.”

You saw the emotion on his face change slightly. Would he show you? You waited in anticipation for his answer, hoping that he was truly peaceful.

“I have already hurt you.” he said, monotony creeping back into his voice.

You shook your head. What did he mean? You didn't even know him, how could he have hurt you? You took another step forward, hoping that he could see that you were not afraid.

“How could you have hurt me? I don't know you.” you asked, taking another step.

He shook his head and you started to get nervous. What did he know that you didn't?

“You don't know me, but you know what I've done.” he continued, still not making sense.

“What... _have_ you done?” you quietly asked, not sure if you were ready for the answer. You hesitated in your steps, who _is_ this guy?

He sighed and you stood rooted in place waiting for his response. Should you be worried? Afraid? Angry? You began to become scared that this man is more than he looks. You regretted asking him anything. You wondered if you should get Steven for help.

You weren't prepared for him to open his eyes.

You closed yours as you were temporarily blinded by the brightness. Opening them again, you saw the stark white of his eyes illuminating your room. A thin white mist trailed off of his eyes and you felt as if you were staring into a white portal.

‘The eyes from the forest.’ you realized, recognizing where you've seen such white eyes.

You were frightened but you held your ground. You said you wouldn't run unless he hurt you.

“I've seen you in...my dreams…” you whispered, sweat building up on your palms and face.

He nodded slowly, never turning away from you. You were still confused. What had he done to hurt you? You knew you've seen him in the forest and in your most recent dream but what was his correlation to you? You've never seen him before your travels. Both of you stayed completely still, staring at each other with no words.

“I still don't understand.” you said, looking at the man confusedly.

“At this point I hope you never do.” he said, unblinking. “But you're not stupid. You'll figure it out at some point. Might as well be today.”

He held out his hand towards you, palms open to the ceiling. You didn't know whether to take it until you saw a small flame ignite on his fingertips. You stared with wide eyes.

“You're village was the only one I burned where everyone survived.”

_Tick._

You heard a raindrop fall on the glass window in your room.

_Tick, tick, tick._

You heard many water droplets follow and a storm quickly brewed outside.

“What.” you whispered, voice barely heard.

Your mind was screaming at you. A voice told you to run and find Steven. A voice told you to throw something at this man. A voice told you to yell, kick, and cry. A voice shouted with no words, only feeling. A voice told you to strangle this man with no mercy. A voice told you to make him bleed.

A voice told you to _fucking kill him._

You stared up at this man, not even feeling the tears streaming down your cheeks. You stared at the fire in his hand, the same exact kind that could've killed your family. You stared into his blank eyes that held nothing behind them. You didn't even realized your body had tensed, your jaw clenched, your fists balled, your legs locked.

A loud voice filled the room and drowned your ears in the volume. You saw his eyes flicker as the voice continued to scream as if it was dying. Your throat felt raw and you realized that the pained noise came from you. You couldn't stop, your chest felt so full it hurt. Your body moved on its own.

Before you even registered it, you had punched this man with everything you felt.

You dropped to your knees as the man in front of you remained standing. Sobs escaped your throat and you held your head in your sweaty palms. Your body felt warm and overheated and the hot tears that welled up in your eyes only made you feel worse. You didn't know if you hurt this man or not with your attack but you didn't care. You didn't know how long you cried but the rain outside drowned out any noise you could've made.

You saw the harsh white light disappear from behind your eyelids and you opened your eyes upwards from where you sat. The man was no longer there.

You hugged yourself and continued to sob on the ground, tears dripping off of your face and onto the hardwood floor.


	8. A Name To A Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After 8 chapters i finally name-drop our favorite boi lmao

You found yourself waking up on the floor. You could still hear rain pounding on the windows. You sat up and felt dull pain shoot across your body. Your leg was asleep, your neck had a crick in it, and your back ached. Your eyes felt puffy and your face had dried moisture that clinged. You felt exhausted.

Picking yourself off the floor, you wipe away the dried out streams from your cheeks. You still felt sobs and hiccups trying to escape your chest and you accidently let one go. You cover your mouth and squeeze your eyes shut, trying to forget what happened only hours ago. You wander around your room, bumping into various objects, trying to lose yourself in the sound of rain.

You tripped over a chair and you fell onto the ground. The chair crashed onto the ground and the noise rebounded off the walls as your knees met the wood once again. Another sob released from your throat and you found yourself uncontrollably making noise. Ugly sounds escaped from your lips and you prayed no one could hear you be so vulnerable.

You heard a knock on the door and you decided on cursing the Gods instead.

“Are you okay?” you heard a voice call out from behind your door. You recognized Steven's tone and you felt like dying.

You tried to answer back, but you couldn't formulate words. Sobs and hiccups answered for you and you hoped the door muffled them to some degree.

“I'm coming in!” he said, opening the door, the sound of the doorknob seemed akin to scraping nails.

You tried to stand up from the floor, to make yourself look decent, but you found yourself glued to the spot. Your brain screamed at your legs to move, but they were like gel. Your toes slipped on the hardwood and you found yourself on your side, trying to hold yourself up with your elbows.

You saw Steven burst in with concern on his face, scanning the room at eye level until he peered down. Seeing you he crouched down and helped you sit up properly, his hands on your back to help stabilize you.

You stared at him the whole time, looking into the deep blue which seemed so calming and grounding. He stared back, his eyes drowned in feelings of fear, curiosity, and concern. You felt safe with him here and you allowed more sobs and hiccups to free themselves. No tears came out but you were sad, the kind of sadness that gripped your soul and wrung it dry.

You curled into Steven, searching for stability. His other hand reached out and held your other side, sort of hugging you and sort of holding you. Your smaller hands reached out and wrapped themselves around the back of his neck, hanging off of him so you don't fall again. You felt like a child but you didn't care, Steven helped you feel safe. You don't know why, you've only known him for a day, but he just did.

That was all you needed.

You felt as if you could breathe again. The sobs subsided and you were left with an empty feeling in your chest. Steven's strong arms held you and you felt warm but it never reached your heart or spirit. There was only one thing you wanted to say to this man. A part of you was glad he was there but…

You reached upwards to his face and slapped it. It wasn't hard but it wasn't light. You couldn't muster up the strength to hit him too forcefully but you put all the emotion you could into that slap. Steven looked down at you, confusion bouncing in his eyes.

_ “Where were you?” _ you whispered, voice barely leaving your throat. Steven stared down at you and shook his head.

“I don't understand.” he said, voice quiet but solemn.

Your hand never left his face. You felt his stubble scratch your palms and you twisted your face. How could he not understand? Did he not hear? Did he not listen?

_ “The man...he looked like you…”  _ you mumbled, trying to explain,  _ “He burned my home...he burned my home...he burned it…” _

Steven stared down at you and his eyes, while still filled with confusion, looked as if they understood more. You felt a single warm tear trail down from your eye but you wiped it away. You didn't know how to explain, how could you make Steven understand? You squeezed your eyes shut and felt more tears roll down.

You felt a thumb trace across your face, pushing the tears away. You opened your eyes to find Steven looking at you. His face was filled was so much care and concern you felt like wilting. You patted Steven's face and looked away, his expression too much to look at.

_ “He looked like you...his eyes were white…”  _ You whimpered, hoping Steven would recognize who you spoke of. Was he even Steven's brother? If he wasn't, who  _ was _ he? You looked back at Steven and you saw the gleam of recognition in his eyes. You could see he understood you.

Steven mumbled something under his breath that you couldn't hear. You tried to catch at least a part of it but he was too quiet. 

_ “What…did you say…?”  _ you asked, curiosity taking the better of you.

Steven shook his head and looked at you. You could see he was considering telling you but you didn't know if he would. If it was about that man, you needed to know. You stared back with ferocity, you needed him to tell you if it was important at all.

“I know who he is…” he said at last. Your head perked up and you patted his face again.

_ “Who is he, Steven…?”  _ you asked, voice starting to drift more.

You could see Steven get visibly uncomfortable. You waited in silence, quietly urging him to continue. Steven sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling pensively.

“He's...who I used to call a brother...his name is Herobrine.” he finally said, forcing it from his chest.

You sighed quietly and looked at the man who refused to look back. You thought back to what the stranger, Herobrine, said.

_ I am...no brother of his. _

You supposed the feeling was mutual between them and you wondered what happened. What disharmony came between these men? What caused Herobrine to burn your town? You shut your eyes as if trying to close the memory. But once you did you couldn't see anything but his face. His white eyes, his dancing flame, his narrow body, his iron necklace…

You couldn't bear to keep your eyes closed much longer. As you opened them you saw Steven finally looking back at you, his eyes filled with such melancholy.

_ “He burned my home…”  _ you whispered, more to yourself than anything but Steven could hear.

He nodded somberly and you felt like dying right then and there, in his arms and far away from where your family is trying to get back their normal lives. You wrapped your arms around his neck again and curled into his chest, wanting somebody to ground you. Steven held you to him silently and you wept once again, never being able to truly let go of all the sadness pent up within you.

_ ‘How could I forgive him?’  _ you thought, thinking about how Herobrine had showed up into your room seemingly harmless and peaceful. The image made you sick. It almost seemed as if he was searching for forgiveness, but you had  _ none _ for that  _ maniac _ .

You kept thinking back to how he showed you magic. The flame on his fingers too small for burning anything much. You wondered if that was the limit of his power. You doubted it. If he was able to leave your village undetected, there must be much more he can do. The thought scared you.

You clung to Steven, tears still dripping out of your eyes but your mind racing with thoughts. It gave you something to distract yourself from all the turmoil inside. You let out a shaky breath and tried to calm your emotions. You didn't want to let go but you knew this embrace wouldn't last forever.

You slowly let your grip loosen and pulled away from Steven. He understood and let you go. Standing up with his help, you wondered what you would do next. Steven didn't seem to want to leave your side.

“It's alright,” you said, “I'm better now.” but Steven couldn't seem to let his concern for you go. You didn't want a personal nurse but you  _ were _ very lonely.

Making you way over to your mattress you forgot about the missing sheets. You really wanted some better rest than you got on the floor. According to Steven, it was actually 3am and you wondered how long ago you spoke to Herobrine. You kept thinking about the encounter and you couldn't shake it off. Steven admitted that he didn't hear you when you attacked Herobrine, so was it all a dream?

You doubted it.

You had told Steven about your missing sheets and he offered to retrieve them from the laundry room, giving you a small pocket of alone time. While he was out, you took a trip to your bookcase to read all the labels. None of the books stuck out to you but something else did.

A small sliver of paper was wedged between two thick books. You dug it out and unfolded it, seeing the bold header on the top page.

**‘The Dream Goddess’**

Your eyebrows raised, you have heard of the Dream Goddess but you didn't know why a paper about her was here. When you thought about it, the paper wasn't there when you first checked in. Someone must of put it there.

You started to read what was below.

_ ‘Dreams are of godlike origin. Our mindscapes invite us into a realm of both reality and fiction meshed together in a dance of motion and vision. The great Dream Goddess gives us this power, the power to dream.’ _

You squinted at the small writing as you read, wondering what the catch was.

_ ‘The God of Creation molded the Dream Goddess from clay made of thought. He shaped her into a being of intoxicating imagery and allowed her to rule over the mindscape, a dimension our minds visit whenever we sleep.’ _

Your eyebrows raised at the phrasing they used, as if the person who wrote this personally met the Gods. You laughed at the thought.

_ ‘The Dream Goddess observes and creates dreams for all of her subjects, each with their own purpose. The dreams she creates can either retell memories, be used as warnings of the future, or tell a tale of fantastical happenings. If you find yourself in a disturbing dream, ask yourself what the Dream Goddess might have intended.’ _

You wanted to read more but the rest was torn off. You pocketed the page and wondered how it ended up in your bookcase. You wondered if Herobrine might have left it. What for? To taunt you with your nightmares? You shuddered in anger and tried not to think about it.

You wondered where the town library was, maybe they had the rest of whatever book the paper was torn from. You gave yourself a small mental note to ask Steven. If anyone was going to find something in this town, it's going to be the celebrity. You sighed, you didn't want to think of Steven as just a celebrity, you wanted to think of him as a friend. You didn't know if he felt the same, however, and you worried.

You heard a knock at the door and Steven came in, carrying a bundle of bed sheets. He dropped them on the mattress and you approached him with the paper you found.

“It was in the bookcase,” you explained, “I think maybe...Herobrine left it here.”

“It's the only thing that seems to make sense,” he replied, “Do you know where the page originated from?”

“I'm sure it's from a book but I don't know which.” you answered.

“The librarian in this town should know.”


	9. Memories And Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a clusterfuck, sure, but I wrote a chapter so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The library was huge, unlike the one at your old village. It had towering bookshelves that reached the roof and you whirled around in the aisles just breathing the scent of the pages. Steven was close behind, scanning the generic labels for anything that seemed related to the paper you found earlier. Your hands traced over the spines, your fingers bumping over the leathery textures. You looked over the labels as well, but nothing seemed important or even interesting in the slightest.

You sighed as you saw Steven abandon the bookshelf he searched through, walking out of the room to look for the librarian. You found a low table on the ground with some cushions around it in, what you thought was, the middle of the library. You lower your knees onto a plush cushion and swing your head back slowly to look at the colossal bookshelves that surrounded you. You took a deep breath in, smelling the old and musty pages that resided in the leather-bound books. You wondered how long it would take for Steven to speak to the librarian as you sat there in the maze of shelves.

Tapping your fingers against the table, you could hear the sound of it echo throughout the room. Your eyes peered upwards at the seemingly endless ceiling as you tapped the table. You sighed loudly, hearing the sound of your breath echo around your ears. A ticking noise caught your attention and you found yourself staring at a golden clock on the far wall. It was almost dawn.

‘Why am I even here?’ you thought.

You knew it was still dark outside and you found yourself searching for a window in the room to no avail. Time didn't seem to care about what you were going through. It didn't seem real that you've only been in this town for less than 2 days.

_ Tick. _

An image of the sun poke out over the left half of the clock. You sighed.

You never wanted this.

You couldn't help but think of  _ him _ . The dream that wasn't a dream that left you on the ground. The man with his magic and fire and indifferent emotions. His unfeeling eyes and his blunt and hurtful truth.

“ _ Herobrine… _ ”

You muttered the name to yourself, hating how it sounded. You scratched at the table and winced at the feeling of the wood curling underneath your fingernails. You found yourself laying your face onto the table, the smooth wood pressing against your cheekbone. You closed your eyes and suddenly were surrounded in fire.

Smoke choked you and your vision blurred and burned. You felt the heat on your skin as you saw  _ him  _ look at you with his bright, unemotional eyes. His face was so clear and defined that your eyelids shot open expecting him to be right in front of you.

You let out a shaky breath when he didn't appear.

Running your hands through your hair, you coughed as if you had actually inhaled smoke. Your dry throat felt scratchy and you winced. Taking a deep breath, you tried to clear your head.

‘What...the  _ hell. _ ’ you thought, gritting your teeth as you stared at the table.

The vision seemed so real. Your heart thudded in your chest and it took you some time to recognize the feeling. You placed your shaky hand over your chest, your heart drumming madly against your ribs.

‘Was it just a daydream…? Or…’

You shook your head. It was probably from stress. It wasn't a very convincing or reassuring thought but it was all you had. You took another deep breath.

_ Tick. _

You peered up to the clock and saw that you had closed your eyes for longer than you thought. The sun was halfway on the clock and you groaned in agitation.

‘ _ Where is he? _ ’ you thought, frustrated.

You got up from where you sat, your knees a bit wobbly. Your shirt bounced from the force of your still frantic heart. Your blurry eyes peered over the bookshelves, forgetting where you came from. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to force away the blurriness. Tears you didn’t know you had spilled from your eyes and you were shocked at the feeling of liquid running down your cheek. You tenderly touched your face as the cold tears flowed.

You shook your head. You had other things to do.

Redirecting your mind to more important matters, you marched towards the aisles, determined to find out where Steven had went. Coming towards a door you didn’t recognize, you pushed it open and carefully peered inside. Storage for books.

“Damn…” You whispered, closing the door.

You decided to walk the other way, passing by bookshelves you sworn were familiar. Coming to another door, you pushed it. Locked. You groaned and marched towards another aisle.

“This is going to take  _ forever. _ ” you muttered to yourself in annoyance.

You stopped at another door and pushed it open, surprising yourself when it swung with ease. You looked inside at a narrow hallway.

‘What the hell…’ you thought with intrigue and confusion.

You carefully stepped inside, your curiosity burning. You looked down the seemingly endless hall, dimly lit with redstone torches in glass cases. You let go of the door and let it close by itself, the echo of the slam rebounding off the walls.

You took a deep breath.

Treading carefully, you slowly made your way down the empty hall, wondering what was at the end of it. You felt a chill as an unknown wind blew over your exposed face. You felt your teeth chatter uncontrollably and you saw your fingertips turn rosey. The redstone torches blew out as another gust assaulted your form. The wind cut right through your clothes and your joints creaked.

_ It reminded you of a memory. _

The floor gave out and you saw the hallway shrink away as you fell into a white void. Ice and snow filled your vision as you fell into a pile of cold and hard snow. The surface of the pile crunched under your weight and water soaked into your clothes. You tried to move but you were paralyzed. You could see your breath come out in almost opaque clouds. Your joints were frozen. Your eyelashes had tiny crystals of ice forming on them. You tried to see the rest of your body but all you felt was dull and cold pain as your entire body was numb. Your neck was set in place and you had trouble feeling where each of your limbs were. The icy water reached your skin and your nerves twitched.

You could see someone in the distance.

Blinking slowly, the ice crystals on your eyelashes cracked. Your vision was blurry with a white haze. You could see her. The silhouette of the woman who saved you. You would've smiled if you could.

Her short hair looked oddly dark. She was taller and thinner than you remember. She wasn't wearing a coat. Your senses came alive and your fingers twitched.

_ It wasn't her. _

Rapid breaths formed a large cloud in front of you. Your heart beat faster but you couldn't feel it. Your brain felt fuzzy and dizzy. Your eyes couldn't help but look forward as the form of Herobrine approached you. Fire danced around his hands as he stared at you, his white eyes much like the snowy landscape. You could see patches of snow melt where his feet were. You wanted to get away.

His hands reached out to you and you could feel the red hot flames lick your face. The muscles in your face twitched as the thin layer of ice on your skin melted away. You could see his face lit by the fire, intensity burning in his eyes.

It scared you.

His hands got closer and the tingling sensation of warmth turned into the ghost of pain. You felt your skin singe as the flames drew closer, your jaw clenched but no noise came from you no matter how hard you tried. You needed to move but your body won't listen. You could feel the fire touch your skin, engulfing you in a mass of red inferno. Your body twitched as a sound you couldn't recognize escaped you.

The white sky turned black as you stared at Herobrine. His eyes were wide and indifferent as you felt your own body disappear. The pile of snow you laid on top of melted and you fell into cold and icy water, the fire around you disintegrating as the black sky faded into thick sheets of ice.

You looked down at your hands, not recognizing the charred mass of skin that greeted you. You stared down at your legs which were no longer there. Your vision started to go dark before you realized you were breathing in the freezing water. You felt your eyes close but your brain was screaming at you to fight for life.

As you closed your eyes, you saw the face of a woman in the pitch black. Her golden irises stared at you as you heard her voice. Her words were like a beautiful song you knew not the lyrics to.

“ _ Trial and error, y/n… _ ”

Your eyes shot open and you found yourself back at the library.

Your head whipped up and swung around, frightening the man who was next to you.

“ _ Steven!”  _ you shouted, your voice banging off of the high ceiling.

“Not so loud!” he whisper-shouted, his blue eyes wide with surprise.

You covered your mouth, realizing your volume. You quickly turned your head to the clock on the wall. The sun was in full view, but nowhere near noon.

‘Strange…’ you thought, ‘It was all...a dream?’

You held your head with your hands,  _ of course  _ it was a dream. Your heart pounded hard. Steven stared at you, his hands gripping an open book. You peered at the title of the book through your fingers.

**‘The Gods of our world’**

Your eyebrows raised as you read it. You lowered your hands and looked into Steven's eyes.

“Sorry.” you said quietly.

Steven shook his head. He put the book down in front of him and patted your hand. He offered you a soft smile of comfort.

“No need to apologize, I know you're tired.”

You stared down at the large hand that covered yours. You thought back to the nightmare, to Herobrine’s fiery hands being so close to you, to the heat burning you. It felt so  _ real _ . You looked back up at Steven. You could feel his heartbeat through his palm, slow, steady, and calm. You sighed.

You slowly raised your other hand and put it on top of Steven's, feeling the rough texture of his skin. It felt nice to be connected with someone that was real. You thought back to when he hugged you close to him in your room and you smiled. You wanted to be like that again, to be close and warm with him. You felt your own heartbeat calm down as you just sat and relaxed with Steven.

Your eyes flicked back to Steven's and you saw his shining blue eyes stare down at your hand. He slowly raised his other hand and put it on yours, sandwiching it. You stared back down at the strange little hand-tower the both of you made. It was super awkward and you found yourself laughing. It was so  _ stupid _ . Look at the both of you, squashing each other's hands for no reason. You continued to laugh as Steven looked over at you, his smile steady. Your throat burned as the humorless laugh escaped your chest.

You felt tears roll down your cheeks as your laughter started to die down. Your joyous sounds turned into hiccups and sobs. Steven separated the hand-tower and took both of your hands in each of his. Your head bowed down as hot tears spilled onto the wooden table.

“I'm sorry.” you whispered.

“It's okay.” came his reply.

“ _ I'm so sorry. _ ”

“You did nothing wrong.”

You shook as he held your hands. You didn't know  _ why  _ you were apologizing but you felt like you  _ needed  _ to. You squeezed your eyes shut as you felt a waterfall of emotion bubble upwards. 3 years of nobody to talk to but yourself does not happen without a reason.

_ You're not a hero. _

_ You're not a hero. _

_ You're not a hero. _

But you tried so hard to be, anyways.

_ You could remember him laughing. He was always so cruel. His sister was no better. _

_ “Where's your mommy?” _

_ He knew the answer. He always asked anyways. You wanted to disappear. His sister would laugh. _

_ “You got no mommy? You got no daddy? How sad! All you get is Miss Crazy-Pots!” _

Where did they come from?

Your eyes shot open and you felt the dried tear streams on your cheeks. Your eyes stared into the face of Steven. His smile made you want to cry again. He was so  _ kind,  _ it  _ hurt. _ You felt your nerves tingle as the need to cry again plagued your body. You hated feeling like this, helpless, useless, vulnerable, and weak. Part of you wished you never came to this town. Everything was fine when you were alone! Sure, you were lonely, but it wasn’t like repressed memories and trauma chased you every waking moment. You were afraid to close your eyes.

“You know, I still find it a bit strange…” you heard the gentle voice of Steven reach your ears.

You hadn’t realized you spaced out until he spoke. Steven looked at you with concern etched on his face.

“You never really...gave me your name.” He finished, his expression bashful.

Your eyes widened at the realization that he was right. Here you were, wanting to be comforted and held by the man in front of you when he didn’t even know your name! You straightened your back. The situation both of you were in suddenly became extremely awkward. Your face felt hot as you felt your tongue get twisted. Steven held onto your hands, still, but you found yourself flooded with the urge to pull them away. You felt sweat build up on your palms.

“I’m sorry! I…I never even realized!” Your voice cracked.

“It’s alright! I didn’t realize it either.” he replied.

You both stared at each other for what seemed like forever. You found yourself unable to speak, suddenly overcome with anxiety. You met this man yesterday and it didn’t even cross your mind to introduce yourself. The thought was overwhelmingly numbing.

“It’s really alright, I know you’ve been stress-”

“Y/n.” you blurted, cutting him off.

It was quiet for a short time before Steven said something.

“It's a nice name.”

“Thank you…”

You still felt extremely awkward. From all that had happened in the past day, it completely flew from your mind. You finally forced your eyes away from his. You could feel Steven slowly let go of your hands.

_ Tick. _

You could still hear the clock ticking and it shocked you that time still dragged on. You fiddled with your fingers while you heard the sound of pages being turned. You glanced at Steven and saw that he had continued to read his book.

“The Gods of our World…?” you mumbled the title out loud.

You saw Steven's eyes flick over to yours and he slightly smiled. He turned the book over to you so you could see the pages. You looked at the chapter header.

**‘The Goddess of Dreams’**

Your eyebrows raised.

“The librarian helped me find a book about the Gods. Apparently it is the only book about Gods this library has,” Steven explained, “But take a look at this.”

He turned the pages until he found what he was looking for. There was a missing page in the chapter. Steven took the page from your room and lined it up with the tear.

“It's a perfect fit.”

You smiled. Obviously the  _ only _ book about Gods was going to fit the page. But a question still lingered in your mind.

“How'd Herobrine get into the library? Isn't it open 24/7?” you asked.

“Yes, it is. That  _ is  _ strange,” Steven replied,

“The book was also in the librarian's possession. There is no way Herobrine could have gotten it…”

The thought troubled you. Could the page in your room have been left by someone else? But who? A past traveller? The innkeeper? It made no sense as to  _ why  _ someone would leave such a specific page for someone else. The only logical choice was Herobrine.

“Could I...see that book, Steven?” you asked.

“Of course…”

He handed the book over and you flipped back to the beginning of the chapter. You speed-read the pages, making mental notes of any important words or phrases. You got to the ripped page and kept reading on, now with the context of the missing page. You kept going until you hit the next chapter header:

**‘The Deity of Time’**

You groaned in frustration. The chapter you just read was short and dry. There was nothing in it that deviated away from what the missing page originally had said. There was nothing! You slammed the book down, surprising Steven. You held your head in your hands and began to go through the words and phrases you thought would be important but nothing made sense. Why would Herobrine want you to see this book?

“There's  _ nothing  _ important in this book other than general information. I don't get it…” you mumbled.

“Did he...want us to know about the Gods?” Steven replied with uncertainty.

“Maybe! But  _ everyone  _ knows about the Gods! It makes  _ no _ sense! Does he think we're  _ idiots _ ?” you snapped.

You sighed as Steven looked uncomfortable. You didn't mean to snap.

“Sorry. I'm frustrated.” you muttered.

“I can tell. Maybe there's another reason why he lead us to this book?” Steven inquired.

“Like what?”

“To read the whole thing?”

The idea was too simple for your liking, sure, but you had nothing else to do.

“Well, we might as well.” you sighed.

Steven moved closer to you as you held up the book so both of you could read it. You flipped to the very beginning and skipped over the title page and table of contents. The first chapter greeted you with it's header:

**‘Notch, The God of Creation’**

You sighed again and started to read it out loud so both you and Steven could be on the same page.

“At the beginning of time, our world existed as a void. Nothing could be added and nothing else was present. Our Great God, Notch, came to be and changed that…”


	10. A Letter Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me, writing Y/n: and I'll add a bit of repressed memories, for flavor! :)  
> *dumps entire container*

_ You woke up in the dark and were confused until you recognized the bookshelves. All the torches seemed to have been blown out as your eyes adjust to the darkness. You could see the charred tips of the sticks on the walls as you looked around. You stared down at the table and saw the open book you and Steven had read together. You looked over to where Steven was supposed to sit. _

_ He wasn't there. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ An unexpected voice echoed behind you. You whirled around quickly, but you couldn't see anyone. You turned back around. It didn't seem as if anyone was in the room except you. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ It was farther away. Your eyes kept shifting, trying to find the source of the voice. You got up and walked to where you thought it came from. Your footsteps made no noise. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ You thought you recognized the voice, now. It creeped up into the back of your mind. It sounded familiar. You continued to follow. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ You walked down an endless aisle of books. The titles were all the same thing. They all contained one word. _

**_‘Him’_ **

_ You kept walking. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ It was closer now. It felt as if you could reach out and touch whoever spoke. The voice was deep and monotone. It vibrated through the air and made your body shake. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ You reached the end of the aisle. An inky pit met your gaze as you stared at the empty space. The bookshelves seemed to curve downward into the dark void. The voice echoed from it. _

_ It had begun to sound...sad. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ Your toes were at the edge of the void. You stared down and felt your stomach drop. The darkness seemed to swallow you and you felt overcome with grief and sadness. Icy cold tears stung your cheeks as the floor creaked under your feet. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ It was so close.  _ **_He_ ** _ was so close. _

_ You felt some force pulling you into the void. It was strangely relieving when you fell. _

_ “Hey…” _

_ It was next to you. It was filled with such melancholy that you cried. Your tears floated around you, chilling the warm air. A hand reached out from beyond the dark shadows and gently caressed your cheek. It was strange, but it was comforting. You leaned into the warmth. _

_ “Hey...Can you hear me?” _

_ You stared into the endless darkness where the hand came from. You reached out for more. _

_ “Yes.” _

_ You could barely recognize your own voice. The curtain of dark in front of you dissipated. A tall, slender figure floated in front of you. _

_ “I'm sorry.” _

_ You almost couldn't recognize him. His dark brown hair stuck up in the strange gravity of this place. His thin limbs seemed to float gracefully. His aqua shirt seemed to barely touch his torso as waves of cloth bunched around him. _

_ “Herobrine…?” _

_ His glowing eyes flickered. A thin mist of white trailed around his head. He looked almost like he had a halo. _

_ For some strange reason, you didn't feel afraid. _

_ “I'm sorry, I don't normally do this.” _

_ Your heart started to pick up. Your pulsating heart seemed to ripple the air around you. You choked on nothing. _

_ “Herobrine...why...why are you here…?” _

_ It seemed unbelievable. You felt trapped. You didn't feel afraid, but your body still reacted. Your brain felt twisted and tied. You couldn't help but stare into the endless eyes of the tall man. _

_ “I don't understand you.” _

_ His tone confused you. It sounded almost accusatory. You wanted to tear your eyes away from him. A loud voice in your head chanted over and over and over… _

**_‘He burned your home.’_ **

_ “Leave me alone.” _

_ You spoke before you even thought about it. His eyes flickered again and you felt the edges of your eyes sting. _

_ “I can't. You compel me.” _

_ You blinked. A speck of water trailed from you. Your brain tried to make sense of everything. Your heart thudded steadily on, trying to break free from your chest. _

_ “How? I am  _ **_not_ ** _ your concern. I am  _ **_not_ ** _ special. You are  _ **_nobody_ ** _ to me but a  _ **_maniac_ ** _. How do I _ **_compel_ ** _ you?” _

_ Sharp words rolled of your tongue like daggers. Your thoughts seeped into your words. You couldn't control how you spoke. No feeling found its way into your voice, but your emotions radiated around you. _

_ “I can't explain. I'm sorry.” _

_ Anger found its way inside you. It burned your chest. He comes into your dreams to tell you such a black lie? He can't have such a simple reason for finding you. He followed you on  _ **_purpose_ ** _ and he wasn't being honest. _

_ “You  _ **_liar_ ** _. Tell me why you follow me.  _ **_Why_ ** _ did you show up in my room?  _ **_Why_ ** _ did you confess to me?  _ **_Why_ ** _ do you plague my dreams?  _ **_Why_ ** _ are you here?” _

_ Your voice grew in power and volume, the frustration clawing its way outside of you. You needed answers and you needed to have them  _ **_now_ ** _. You scratched at your arms as the man in front of you stared on. He handled your anger with such an indifferent expression that it made you want to scream. _

_ “I wish i knew. I'm being honest, I promise. You...fascinate me.” _

_ You felt your stomach lurch at his words. All the emotion that failed to reach you in the beginnings of this encounter assaulted your senses all at once. You felt hot and cold tears prick your eyes as your face flushed and your fingertips felt icy. Your muscles twitched as you tried to process what he said. Fear strangled your chest and twisted your lungs. _

_ “Get away from me.” _

_ He blinked and you saw the light of his eyes dim for just a second. You didn't understand what it meant. You couldn't identify the expression he wore as he backed away from you. You were surprised he obeyed your command, but a large part of you felt as if you could breathe again. You felt your body calm down as the tall man watched from several feet away. _

_ “I'm sorry.” _

_ You gritted your teeth at his emotionless words. You wanted to badly to understand his motive, but you were unsure  _ **_he_ ** _ even knew. You looked up at him, trying to read his face and body. _

_ “What have I done to deserve this?” _

_ You hugged yourself in the cold void. You made unwavering eye contact with him as he fidgeted. He seemed lost in his thoughts and, for a split second, he looked almost innocent. _

_ “I don't understand you. You helped them. The whole town got out safe. No thanks, no prize, nothing. You confuse me.” _

_ You blinked in surprise. You couldn't recall him being in your town. You knew he started the fire, but how did he know what you did? All you remember that day was adrenaline and fear. The peoples’ screams still echoed in your skull. _

_ “How...do you know…?” _

_ You saw him shuffle. His eyes flickered. Did he hide? The whole time your home burned, was he watching? Your eye twitched and you looked away from him. The whole endless void felt silent and heavy, clinging to your skin like gel. _

_ “How do you know?” _

_ You asked again, this time louder. The silence was deafening as you looked back at him. He stood there, motionless. You wanted to scream. You felt like you were made of lead, your body being dragged along heavily in the strange gravity. You blinked and more tears dripped upwards into the air. You wished desperately for the quiet to be filled. _

_ “ _ **_Answer me!_ ** _ ” _

_ You shouted and you felt the atmosphere vibrate. The darkness seemed to ripple around you. Your voice echoed and bounced off some unidentifiable boundary to this place. You glared at him. He could only stare back and say nothing. As the last of your voice faded away, he finally spoke. _

_ “I was still there.” _

_ You shook your head. He seemed farther away, now. You stepped towards him. You didn't understand. Why was he fascinated by you? Why was he following you? How was he in the village? You yelled for him to stop but he seemed to fade away into the darkness. You reached out, you wanted answers and he needed to give them to you. _

_ “Stop! Come back here!  _ **_Answer me!_ ** _ ” _

_ Your voice seemed to fade into the darkness, too. You felt your stomach drop as your body fell. The void seemed to swallow you whole as your vision started filled with inky black. Your chest tightened as water filled your lungs. You could see a faint silhouette above the water… _

_ Then it disappeared. _

_ “Wake up.” _

You fell onto a hardwood floor, your arms flailing in the air. You gasped for air as you writhed on the floor. Your vision became clear and you found yourself no longer underwater. You relaxed slightly as you saw that you were back in your inn room.

You were breathing hard, your chest rising and falling quickly and deeply. You felt clammy and sick and sat up and looked around. Your head was dizzy and you found it hard to stand up properly. Your first thought was to find Steven. You opened your room door and looked out the dark hall.

“That's weird…”

You didn't think so much time had passed already. You tried not to think about it as you walked next door to Steven's room. He called from behind the door and you let yourself in. As you walk in you could see that he was still reading the book both of you were reading earlier.

“So, uh...how long have I been out?” you asked nervously, glancing side to side.

Steven looked up at you from the book and smiled. He folded a page corner and closed the book, setting it on the nightstand.

“Not very long. You fell asleep after the first chapter so I thought you'd be more comfortable in your bed rather than a table. We have some storm clouds rolling in so I guess it's pretty dark out.” he said, patting an empty space on the bed next to him.

You took up the invitation and sat next to him, feeling bad about falling asleep on him.

“Did I miss anything important?” you asked, gesturing to the book.

Steven looked thoughtful and shook his head. You groaned in agitation.

“So, it was a waste of time?” you asked, frustrated.

“Yeah, there wasn't much, really...” Steven muttered, looking to the floor.

You sighed heavily and laid back on the bed. Steven looked at you curiously as your eyebrows knitted.

“Then why would he leave a page…?” you whispered, your voice barely audible.

You saw Steven shrug at your question. You gathered the feeling that he was just as frustrated as you about this.

You thought about the dream. It didn't feel real at all and yet you talked to him like _ he _ was. You shook your head. It was all too confusing. You just wanted answers.

As you lay with your thoughts, you saw Steven stand up from the bed and make his way over to his bag laying on the ground. He took out various items and set them on a desk, pulling out the chair and sitting in it. You stared at him as he worked on something silently. Sitting up, you could see that he was writing on paper. Your curiosity spiked.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

Steven seemed to flinch slightly as you spoke. You wondered if you frightened him. As you were about to apologize, he spoke.

“Sorry I just...I forgot to write something yesterday so I'm doing it now.” he answered.

“Ah, okay…” you replied.

As he scribbled on the paper you stood up and walked over to him. He only had written a few sentences but you could see the purpose of the letter. His handwriting was so neat and small, you had to lean forward to read it properly.

‘ _ Dear Alex, _

_ I have arrived in another village as a resting stop. I'm writing to you to let you know I will be late for your birthday, but I will be able to make it to give you your gift. The reason for this is that I had gotten distracted by this other traveller and a troubling situation involved with them and have decided to extend my visit further to help them. I can tell you the details when I see you but’ _

You stopped reading as questions popped up in your head. Who was Alex? How long  _ did  _ Steven plan on being here? Where was he going next? Where did this Alex live?

Your mind was racing as you stared at Steven's hand as he wrote more.

‘ _ I can't explain it all through writing. The traveller is very kind, however, so you should not fear the time I spend with them. The main reason I am helping them is because of H.B. It's very shocking, I understand, but I must find out for myself why he would be following a pure stranger. Perhaps you could meet them someday but I doubt they would want to travel with me. I know you would like them, though. I'll see you very soon, I hope. _

_ With love, _

_ Steve’ _

Your eyebrows knitted as you tried to figure out what H.B. meant. You wondered if it was a code for Herobrine. You knew Steven used to know Herobrine but how did this Alex know about him? As Steven finished the letter, he sat back and was startled by your presence. He jumped slightly in his chair and you stood back, startled by his surprise.

“Sorry! I just wanted to see what you were writing!” you explained nervously.

Steven sighed and smiled, his hand over his chest.

“That's fine...just don't scare me like that!” he laughed.

You smiled and stepped closer.

“So...who's Alex?”

Steven picked up the letter and rolled it up. He retrieved a piece of ribbon from his bag and tied it up.

“Alex is my younger sister. She lives in our hometown by herself and her birthday is in a couple days. I want to celebrate it with her so I'm travelling there.” he said as he worked.

“Where's your hometown?”

“Sky City. Up north.”

Your jaw dropped as he spoke. You weren't very surprised that Steven lived in an important city or town, but Sky City? It seemed unreal.

Sky City was famous for being the first and only city to float above the clouds. It was dangerous to venture to and was extremely difficult to find unless you knew _ exactly  _ where to look. Some say that it was so close to the Aether, you could see the Gods’ faces. Of course you didn't believe that last part, but Sky City was said to be the most perfect place to ever exist.

You frothed at the mouth just thinking about all the pictures you've seen in books of its majesty. The beautiful architecture, the gorgeous people, the wonderful food, and the unreal view of the clouds below you.

“Uh...y/n, are you alright?”

You snapped out of your thoughts as Steven waved his hand in front of your face. You wiped your mouth, realizing that you were actually drooling. Feeling properly embarrassed, you apologize to Steven and he laughs.

“You seem quite excited at the mention of Sky City. Have you been there before?” he asked.

“No. But I've seen pictures. I've always wanted to go.” you replied, twiddling your fingers.

Steven smiled and turned back to his bag. You saw him put away his other stationery and quills. He turned back to you and stood up from the chair.

“Would you like to go with me?” he asked carefully.

Your eyes widened at his offer. You looked away to hide the obvious excitement on your face. You suddenly felt nervous. What if something bad happens while your travelling? What if you never make it? People say it's so hard to find and you know you have Steven, but what if you can't take the journey? Your heart thudded and you started to sweat. It was always a dream of yours to visit several popular and famous locations, but now that you have the perfect offer to go…

“I...I…” you choked on your words.

Steven looked concerned as you hugged your arms. You never made a journey like that before. You know that with a specific location, you can't avoid biomes you don't like. While you travelled by yourself you always skipped and found a way around biomes that didn't suit you, but with going to Sky City you couldn't avoid every biome. You felt sick again and you wanted to lay down.

“Hey...it's alright. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I know we've just met and I shouldn't have pushed the offer…” Steven said, approaching you slowly.

You looked back up at him as your heart pounded. You didn't want to make such a big choice, but you didn't know how else you would fulfill such a big dream. You knew that that you would be safe with Steven, he's been so kind and gentle and comforting in the past day. You never imagined that he would take a liking to you and you felt tears push through your eyes as you got lost in your thoughts.

“I'm sorry if I stressed you out, y/n…” he whispered softly, gently putting his hand on your shoulder.

You shook your head. You didn't know what to say but you wanted to go. You felt anxiety creeping up inside your chest, but if you back down this offer you might never get this chance again. You spoke before any other insecurities could take over.

“No! I want to go very much, especially with you! I just feel so...scared, I guess…” you replied, finally finding your voice again.

Steven smiled softly and nodded. You leaned forward and he embraced you. You smiled as your body felt exhausted from all the anxiety. You wanted to sleep in the man's arms and talk about Sky City later.

“I'd love to go to Sky City.” you muttered, feeling tired.

Steven hummed and you could feel his voice through his chest. You felt warm and happy and you were so glad you visited him after such an awful nightmare. You closed your eyes as Steven spoke.

“Then we can go once were done in this town.” he replied quietly.

You nodded and he pulled away from the hug. You felt much better but your initial fears still clung to you. You knew you had Steven but you couldn't help but be afraid of such a big change.

“There isn't much to do anyways. Our trail with Herobrine has run dry…” you mumbled, still feeling the bitter disappointment from earlier.

Steven nodded slowly in agreement.

“And anyways...He'll follow me no matter what. It's not like I can outrun him by travelling so going with you won't slow him down…” you continued.

“Then we could head out tomorrow. Maybe we  _ can _ make it in time for Alex's birthday!” Steven said happily.

You smiled at him, happy that he was happy. Thinking about Herobrine, however, made you feel dizzy. Maybe the trip could distract you, but you weren't looking forward to feeling watched the whole time. He hasn't harmed you at all, at least not in real life, but you were still afraid. Still, you had an exciting adventure to look forward to.

Steven picked up the letter he wrote and untied it. He ripped up the letter and took out more stationery from his bag to make a new one. He told you he would like to be alone so you left and went into your room. All of your things were still in your bag so you didn't have to prepare much. You sat on your bed and stared at the bookshelf. Your mind started to wonder as you spaced out.

You thought of the dreams you've been having and Herobrine and why he talked to you. You thought about the nightmares where he hurt you and there was fire and ice everywhere. You thought about the dark void and how he touched you so softly and carefully, so unlike your other dreams. You felt your chest tighten and you tried to take a deep breath.

What did it all mean?

You hated how all of these problems decided to find you and strangle you all in the span of 2 days. Steven was kind, yes, but he couldn't make your nightmares disappear forever. You just wanted to understand what was going on. Questions blossomed in your head and you tried so hard to answer them, but to no avail. You wanted Herobrine to go away forever. You kept thinking about what he said.

_ I don't understand you. _

Was he as confused as you about this? Did he have answers or is he lost as well? Is he hiding the truth? Has he been lying this whole time?

_ You compel me. _

Why? Why you? What's so special about you? What does he see that you don't?

_ You...fascinate me. _

It burned your mind. It hurt to think about it. Was Herobrine evil? Was he a force to be reckoned with? He burned your village down, but the way he appeared in your dream…

He seemed so lost and confused…

You told yourself he was evil. You told yourself you hated him. He tried to kill your village people and he admitted to killing and burning others. Perhaps it was all a trick he was playing. Was he trying to appear innocent to fool you? Was he truly sorry? If he was trying to trick you why would he follow you for so long? Why were you so worth the time to fool? Why would he try so hard to reach you?

These questions plagued your mind and made the time seem to drag on forever. You felt lost in your mind as you swam in thoughts. You wish you knew someone with the answers.

_ Tick _ .

You heard raindrops on the windows. A storm had started to brew.

_ Tick, tick, tick, tick. _

It came down in sheets. You heard the crack of lightning and your room lit up. You jumped at the abrupt sound and clung to the bed. Your heart pounded loudly in your ears. Your mind started to race and you squeezed your eyes to try and block out the thoughts. Your insides of your eyelids lit up as thunder and lightning ruled the sky. Images swarmed your brain and you prayed for them to disappear.

_ Rain had started to fall on you. It was cold and clung to your clothes. The sky rumbled and you saw the other children make their way back to their homes. A few children stayed outside but you wanted to go back home, too. _

Lighting cracked again, making you open your eyes in surprise. Your body shuddered and you felt cold sweat build up on your skin. You clung to your clothes, wishing they helped you feel warmer. You closed your eyes again as lightning illuminated the sky.

_ You tried to go back home but got lost in the village. You could've sworn you went the right way. You couldn't see in the dark as you stumbled on the dirt path. You hoped someone would help you. You stepped on the porch of a random house and knocked desperately, needing directions. You heard footsteps and felt joy. _

You shivered again, your sweat collecting. You felt the cold liquid run down your face slowly. You wiped it away and crawled onto the floor. You held your hands over your head, trying to block out both the light and the noise. It didn't help.

_ The door opened and a tall and burly man stared you down. _

_ “What do you want, kid?” he sounded annoyed and angry. _

_ You tried to explain you were lost. You needed directions to the pottery shop. Your voice was almost drowned out by the downpour. _

_ “I'm not your babysitter, go ask someone else!” _

_ He slammed the door on you and your heart dropped. Lightning cracked and you jumped at the sudden noise. Your hair matted down from the rain water and you shivered from the cold. You didn't like the cold. _

You could still see the bright light through your eyelids. You gritted your teeth and tried so hard to block it out, but to no avail. Your memories just kept playing. It was like you were a kid again. You shuddered and sobbed. Didn't you already have enough to cry about?

_ You tried every house you saw but everyone either refused to help or couldn't. _

_ “I'm busy, I can't help you.” _

_ “I don't know where that shop is.” _

_ “I'm not your mom.” _

_ “Why don't you try somewhere else?” _

_ “Sorry, no.” _

_ You felt so discouraged everytime you asked. You didn't want to ask anymore. You just wanted to go home. You were drenched and shivering and the thunder and lightning cracked and scared you each time. You were afraid that you would be struck by lightning. Your knees were weak from walking so much and you felt so tired and cold. _

You crawled under the bed and put your forehead on the ground. It only helped slightly, but the sound of lightning was enough to make you jump and hit your head on the bed frame. You whimpered and hugged yourself. You wished that Steven was with you.

_ You didn't know how, but you found yourself in the market square of the town. The buildings were illuminated from the inside and large signs were out in front of the doors. You stumbled on the path in between the buildings, crying and sobbing. You yelled for help but no one replied. Some lights went out in some stores and you were left in the dark again. You kept trudging through. _

_ You found yourself near the village wall, the grass near it was dry. You stood under the slight ridge that the top of the wall had and it protected you from the rain. You sat on the partially dry grass and hugged your knees. You dozed off for only a short while before the lightning startled you awake. _

Your eyes shot open and you had to readjust. You laid on your side under the bed and held your hands over your ears as muffled lightning cracked again. You just wanted peace. You curled up and felt a tear slip out of your eye. You shivered and whimpered again.

_ You could hear a voice call out through the loud downpour. It sounded familiar. You turned your head up, full of fatigue as Ms. Pine came into view with a large umbrella. She ran to you as fast as an old lady could and scooped you up into her arms. You cried into her dress as she carried you home. Lightning struck the sky and you screamed in fear. _

_ “I don't like it! I hate it! Please help me!” you shouted. _

_ “It's alright, my sunshine. You are safe. I am here. I will take you home.” she whispered to you. _

_ She took you back to the pottery shop. She went upstairs with you on her shoulder. She took you to the bathroom and changed your clothes and dried your hair. You felt warmer and safer, but everytime the lightning struck, you would shriek. _

_ She tucked you tight into bed with warm blankets. She sung you beautiful lullabies and you fell asleep. But everytime the lightning struck, you would wake up and cry. You shivered, even under the warm covers. You covered your ears and tried to drown out the noise. You crawled under the bed so you wouldn't see the light. _

_ In the morning, Ms. Pine found you curled up, asleep, underneath the bed, blankets wrapped around your small, fearful form. _

You cried as your windows shook. The powerful storm shook the sky and your body. You felt helpless and alone as your room flashed brightly. You could barely hear the door opening over the sound of the booming sky.

“Y/n? Where are you?”

You heard Steven's voice and you felt another sob escape your throat. Lightning cracked and you squeaked in fear as you hugged yourself tighter.

“Y/n?”

His voice was closer and you saw him peek under the bed. You met his eyes and saw concern and worry etched on his face. He reached his hand under but you shook your head.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

You whimpered as another bolt of lightning struck. You squeezed your eyes shut. It was so  _ loud  _ and  _ bright _ . You felt another tear escape.

“Are you...scared of the storm?”

You met his gaze again. His blue eyes were filled with worry and curiosity. You nodded and he reached out for your hand. You took his carefully and he helped you crawl out from underneath.

Thunder rumbled and another bolt lit up your room. You cried out and hugged Steve, burying your face in his shirt, covering your ears. He wrapped his arms around you tenderly and you both sat in silence on the floor. He patted your back softly and held you close. You wrapped your arms around his back and hung there, tears spilling from your eyes.

“If it helps...would you feel better if I stayed with you all night?” he asked so quietly, you could barely hear him.

You clung tighter and nodded into his chest. Neither of you said anything else as Steven silently pulled away from the hug and helped you stand up. He guided you to your bed and you laid down on your side slowly. He pulled the chair from your desk and sat it next to your bed. You stared at him in fear as he sat next to you.

“I'll be here all night.”

You nodded and closed your eyes, but the lightning kept flashing through your eyelids. You whimpered and Steven placed one of his hands on your back and one over your exposed ear. It greatly muffled the sound and you buried your face into the bed so you wouldn't see the flashing. It was almost perfectly quiet.

Within moments, you grew drowsy with Steven by your side. You turned your head upwards a bit and gave him a small smile before you let yourself fall asleep


	11. The Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowds suck, but at least there's peace for now

The morning light woke you up. You felt the warm light on your skin and you felt hot. You shuffled to where it was cooler and opened your eyes slightly. You could hear various noises outside, birds singing, wheels bumping over pebbles, chatting. Your eyes moved over to the side of your bed.

You saw Steven, his face squished against the side of your bed. His hands still reached over the bed frame. You smiled and sighed. You reached out and shook him until he grunted. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at you before sitting up. Neither of you said a word as you both woke up slowly. You both stretched and yawned and groggily got up.

You considered the odd occurrence of last night. You had a dreamless sleep. You were grateful for the peace, but it made you worry. You wished you didn't have to worry about it so much. You just wanted to enjoy it for what it was. You silently made your way over to your travel bag. You could feel Steven's eyes on you as you made sure everything was in there.

“Are you alright?” you heard him say quietly.

“Yeah. Everything's here.” you replied.

“That's good.” he said. 

You turned around and saw him smile at you. You smiled back. It felt nice to be at peace, at least. Maybe you could just enjoy the quiet while it lasts. The golden sunlight filled your room with such a happy glow that you felt like crying. Everything seemed to be so right and fluffy, it made your chest swell. You embraced the feeling and picked up your bag.

“I'm all ready to go if you are.” you said.

Steven nodded and you both headed outside your room. He turned and went into his room and came back out with his bag and a signed envelope.

“We'll have to stop at the market square before we go.” he said.

You nodded and smiled. It felt so strange to have a set goal in your mind, but it made you feel determined. You wanted to get to Sky City and, by the Gods, you would. It felt foreign to be so confident. It made your head spin. It was a good feeling, nonetheless.

You followed Steven into the lobby, where you both checked out of the inn. You took one last look at the pretty innkeeper before you stepped outside. You were going to travel again, how weird is that? You wondered if you would ever see this place again.

You continued to follow Steven into the large market square. It was bustling and loud and you found it difficult to read all the signs and shops because of all the bodies. You stuck close to Steven as he maneuvered his way through the crowd. It was all you could do to keep track of his aqua shirt.

You sniffed the air and smelled cooked meat, fruit, sap, raw fish, and people. It was overwhelming and you wanted to get in and out as fast as you could. You wondered what Steven needed to get and how long it would take. You hoped you didn’t have to stay here longer than necessary. You were already getting a headache.

You trailed behind him to a small fruit stand. It had a small crowd and seemed to contain large and fresh fruits. You could smell strawberries, melons, pears, peaches, and so much more. You realized how hungry you were and you decided that you would get something for yourself while you were here. You could splurge a bit, right? You had plenty of money, after all.

Steven stopped at the stand and waited patiently for one of the vendors to greet you both. You waited anxiously, you  _ really  _ wanted something to eat and leave ASAP. The smell of other stands and shops was starting to make you feel a little dizzy.

“Do you want anything, y/n?” Steven asked.

“I can get something for myself.” you replied.

“Are you sure? It's no trouble.” he insisted.

You shook your head. You were grateful that he was chivalrous, but you can buy your own apples. In all honesty, you didn't want to use Steven's money for yourself. Plus, you had enough money to buy dozens of baskets of fruit, probably. He nodded and you sighed in relief that he didn't push.

A vendor came up to you both and greeted Steven. Steven listed off what he needed and you rocked on your heels while you waited for him to finish. The vendor seemed to overlook you until you brought yourself to attention once Steven finished speaking. It was odd. It was like he didn't even see you, which was ridiculous. You weren't that short.

Both you and Steven hung onto your paper bags of fruit as you stumbled through the crowd, trying to get to the next stand. You felt the eyes of various people on you and you were starting to get uncomfortable. You bumped into many people and you were tired of saying sorry every other second. You reached out and held onto the back of Steven's shirt just to make sure you wouldn't lose him.

You stopped at two other stands before you felt drained. Steven had most of what was on his list but you didn't want to spend any more time in this crowd. You begged Steven to lead you out of the market square so you could breathe a little better. You were getting increasingly uncomfortable with stares from random people.

You stumbled out from the crowd and immediately felt better. Steven told you to wait outside the square until he finished his errands. You agreed and laid yourself back on the front wall of an empty shop. You took deep breaths to try and get more fresh air but you were still pretty close to the other shops. You sat down on the grass and laid your bags next to you. You took out some fruit and bit into it, feeling better instantly.

“Should I ask?”

“Go for it, how else will you know?”

You heard conversation that was a little to close for comfort. You looked up and saw two girls chatting with each other while staring at you. You felt uncomfortable and had trouble swallowing the fruit you had bit off. Were they talking about you or were you just imagining things?

You saw the one with long hair approach you and you tried to feign ignorance just in case it wasn't for you. You stared away from her but the closer she got, the more worried you felt. What did she want?

“Hey, you.”

Her voice was right next to you and you couldn't ignore it. You stared up at her and saw a mischievous glint in her eyes. Your worries increased.

“Tell me everything you know about Steven, The First.”

You blinked. Then, it hit you. You realized why people kept staring at you in the market square. It was because you were with a celebrity! You had completely forgotten Steven’s status and you felt stupid for not understanding earlier.  _ Of course  _ people were staring.

The question struck you as odd, though. Why did a random person want to know about Steven through another? You certainly didn’t know enough about him to tell, so why would she ask? Couldn’t she just approach Steven herself? Was she shy? She seemed pretty confident by the way she approached you. You glanced over to the other girl who was standing by. She seemed to have a similar expression to the girl in front of you. You felt uncomfortable.

“Why…?” you said.

The girl blinked and the glint of mischievousness disappeared. It was like she turned over a new leaf and became a different person. It confused you as she stuttered.

“Well...I just wanted to know ‘cause…’cause he’s a hero of mine and...and I just…well…”

You raised an eyebrow. She played with her hair and looked anywhere but at you. It was suspicious and it definitely wasn’t going to get any information out of you. She sighed loudly and you felt awkward. You didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

“Can’t you tell me  _ anything?  _ Or are you just some creepy person following him? ‘Cause if you are, it’s  _ rude  _ and  _ creepy _ . So you should stop it.” She huffed.

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. She seemed like such a temperamental person. You struggled just talking to her.

“I’m not following him...I’m travelling with him. Why do you want to know about him? Can’t you ask him yourself?” you groaned.

You didn’t want to talk to this girl. She was pushy and you were already drained from walking through crowds of people. If she wanted to know about Steven she can ask him herself. It wasn’t your problem.

“I can’t do that! He’s just so...I just can’t.” Her voice trailed off.

You blinked again and studied her face. Her eyes were shifting around everywhere and she wouldn’t stop playing with her hair. You saw that her other hand was gripping the bottom of her shirt tightly. Was she really too scared to talk to Steven? He’s not scary at all.

Then again, you were frightened of talking to him too until he invited himself into your life. He was so charismatic and charming and open about his feelings. How could anyone be afraid of talking to such a kind and gentle man?

“What are you scared of? He’s not dangerous or mean.” You said as gently as you could.

Sure, you were tired of talking to this girl, but you understood what anxiety felt like. The least you could do was to try and ease her nerves. It wasn’t your business to talk about Steven while he wasn’t around anyways.

“I know that! He’s just...really cute.” She said, mumbling the last part.

Oh. She had a crush on him. Figures.

You sighed but tried to make it quiet. You really didn’t want to talk to her any longer, but you didn’t know how to get her to go away without offending her. You didn’t have any experiences on having a crush on someone, so you really weren’t the best person for this. She needed someone else for that kind of anxiety.

“Oh, well...I can't help you with that.” you said, feeling awkward again.

You heard her huff and shuffle her feet. You got the impression that she felt as awkward as you. Or maybe she was just impatient. You couldn't tell.

“I don't know how he can deal with you.” you heard her mutter.

Your heart skipped a beat. It thudded against your chest painfully. You stared at her and she realized that you heard her.

“Oh! I didn't mean it like that! You're just so quiet and...and I'm just frustrated that you won't tell me anything! How else will I know about him?” she proclaimed.

“It's not my business.” you replied.

It really was just that simple. If he was around you would feel better about sharing. Without him, it felt wrong. Like gossip, you  _ hated _ gossip.

The girl groaned and tapped her foot. You could tell she was losing patience and you weren't far behind her. You just wanted her to either go away and forget about it or go away and talk to Steven herself. The conversation was going nowhere.

“If you don't know anything about him, why travel with him?” the girl grumbled.

Your rope was thin by now. You were already socially drained when she talked to you and the only person you wanted to see or speak to, at that point, was Steven. You just wanted to be alone.

“ _ Well? _ ”

You realized that you spaced out. As soon as you tuned back in you saw the angry face of this girl. You wished she took a hint.

“He offered me. I accepted. That's it.” you said, a hint of irritation in your voice.

You stared at her for the longest time. She stared back with the intensity of an angry toddler. You felt like you were losing the conversation battle, but you didn't care. If she got tired of you and left, that would be perfectly fine. Unfortunately, she stood her ground.

‘She must  _ really _ have a crush on him.’ you thought, feeling sweaty.

What seemed like minutes passed in complete silence before hearing something familiar.

“Y/n? I got everything!” you heard Steven call out.

You saw him squeeze out of the crowd and you immediately felt better. Getting up and picking up your bag, you broke eye contact with the girl and walked past her. She stared at you with bewilderment as you rejoined with Steven.

“Who were you talking to?” he asked.

You looked back and saw the poor girl in shock. Her jaw was clenched tight and she gripped her shirt until her knuckles were white. You made eye contact with her and nodded towards Steven slightly. She shook her head and looked down. You felt bad for her.

“I don't know who she is, but she seems to like you.” you said.

Steven smiled and nodded. You supposed he had fans everywhere like this. Steven stuffed his shopping bags into his travel bag and you couldn't help but stare at the girl. You felt like you needed to do something.

“She...wants to talk to you. I know it's not my place to force things, but…” you muttered, turning back towards Steven.

Steven looked at you and smiled again. You didn't know if he would talk to her, but you hoped so. You felt like it would make her day. You turned back and saw that the girl had started to awkwardly walk back to her friend. Steven finished packing, threw the bag over his shoulder, and walked up to her. You smiled as you saw her expression.

You waited by the empty shop for what you thought was 10 minutes before Steven turned and walked back to you. He was still smiling and the girls both looked like they were going to faint. You gave Steven a small smile and you both set off for the exit of the village together. You turned back and saw the girls chatting to each other with huge smiles on their faces. Their cheeks were flushed red and you thought it was the cutest thing.

As you were about to turn around again, you saw the girl from before turn to you, mouthing a ‘thank you’ before turning back to her friend. You smiled a little and turned back around. You could hear her friend talking.

“You know, the more I look at them...the more I think they're dating.” she said, quite loudly.

The girl from before playfully pushed her friend. You turned back around and considered. You stared up at Steven. His bright blue eyes had determination in them and you couldn't help but admire it. You saw the wind blow through his soft hair. He's been so kind to you ever since you arrived at the village. And not only kind, but caring, concerned, optimistic, helpful, and you couldn't thank him enough. He noticed you were staring and gave you a small smile. You turned away. You thought about it and shook your head.

‘Me? Date Steven? Yeah, right.’ you thought.


	12. A Bit Less Afraid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, look at that, I'm actually developing their relationship!

You looked up into the sky and saw the beautiful sunset. You saw Steven setting up the tent he had packed. You put your bag next to the unfinished tent. You stretched and Steven told you to get firewood.

The both of you had walked until the sun started to go down. Your feet hurt and your legs ached and you were glad for the break for the night. You grabbed an axe from your bag and set off into the dark forest. It was oddly quiet, but you were glad you didn't see any Mobs as you searched for fallen wood.

You found enough to fill your arms and you started to head back until you tripped on something you couldn't see. Dropping the wood, you fell without being able to catch yourself. Your forehead slammed into the ground and you felt dizzy and saw stars. You sat up quickly and tried to pick the wood back up, but your head pounded and you swayed. You tried to stand up with the bundle, but you slipped on a patch of grass and fell backwards down a hill.

You rolled down the particularly large hill and stopped at the bottom. Your head spun and you felt like throwing up. You forced yourself to sit up and look around. The wood was scattered around you and some broke from the fall. You slowly started to pick it back up, trying to watch where you put your feet. You attempted to ignore the headache you gave yourself. You worried that you were taking too long to get back to camp.

You stumbled towards the hill, but it proved to be nearly impossible to get up. The hill was too steep and you couldn't possibly climb it without using both hands. You would have to abandon the wood, which took long enough to get and you didn't want to look for more. You sighed and tried to figure out what to do. Maybe there was a path around the side? Before you could do anything, however, you heard a shuffle behind you.

You whipped around, your axe at the ready. You scanned the area, but couldn't see anything in the dark. Your breathing quickened and your heart pounded in your ears. You backed up from wherever you thought the noise came from. The silence made the sound of your rushing blood maddening. You tried to calm down your breathing. You could hear another pattern of breathing behind you. Your eyes widened and your body went rigid.

“Do you need help?” a familiar voice rung out.

You whipped around and almost fell over again, holding your axe in front of you. You stumbled but caught yourself, looking towards the visitor. Herobrine’s gaze met yours and you fought the urge to run away. You both stared at each other before Herobrine cleared his throat.

“Do you need help?” he asked again.

You squinted at him and looked around paranoidly. Were you dreaming? Was he really here? Your hands started to shake as your eyes tried to avoid his. You didn't know what to say or do. What could you do? A murderer was standing right in front of you offering help, how were you supposed to react? You shook your head and tried to clear your mind. Was this real?

“Are you alright, y/n?” he said.

Your heart skipped a beat and your eyes shot back to him. Your hands shook as you held out your axe, beads of sweat forming on your back and neck. You took a step back to feel more comfortable.

“How...do you know my name?” you spat out, struggling to raise your voice.

His eyes flickered and you just wished there was some semblance of an emotion on his face. His face seemed so empty and overtaken by the harsh light of his eyes. He appeared so indifferent and apathetic as he stood there, motionless. His hands were stuffed into his pants pockets and his hair stuck out at odd angles. You could hardly see his face, but whatever you could see was completely stoic. The fact that this was not a dream struck you like a train.

“It’s...written on your bag.” he said quietly.

The tension in the atmosphere was strong. Herobrine’s stance was awkward and tense. You could see the stiffness in his body as he stood in front of you, unblinking. You examined his body language, his stiff back and shoulders giving away his discomfort. He appeared unarmed, even in the magic sense.

You didn't understand why he was there.

“Why...are you talking to me? In my dreams, in real life, why?” your voice shook, but you didn't care.

You sensed his extreme awkwardness in the way he shrugged. His shirt folds jostled and you could see how baggy they were against him. You never noticed how thin he was. You knew he was skinny, but he seemed to have gotten thinner since last you saw him. It was bizarre. You shook your head.

“Isn't there  _ any  _ reason,  _ at all _ , why?  _ Anything _ you can think of?” you asked, almost desperately.

You were getting tired of not having the answers you wanted. There was literally no reason for Herobrine to follow you, and yet here he was. For a man who seemed indifferent to you, he sure cared to follow you around. You considered if there was a facade. You felt yourself letting your guard down slightly. You didn't know if you should've, but you lowered your axe.

It was silent. You waited for an answer, still.

“No. I'm sorry.” he said, a hint of irritation in his voice.

You blinked as the information sunk in. Was he lying? What reason would he have to lie? He seemed to be as frustrated as you, give or take some intensity. You stood as still as you could as your headache raged on, the stoic man shuffling in place.

You felt a bubble rise up in your chest. It stuck in your throat and you coughed, but nothing came out. The silence was briefly filled with your action, but it quickly faded. It was maddening. You felt the bubble expand you felt restless.

“Why do you want to talk to me?” you quietly asked, trying to fill the night with something.

Herobrine looked away and you fought the urge to scream in frustration. You wanted to fall to the ground and yank out grass blades. Your fists clenched and unclenched as your dizzy mind zipped with emotional thoughts. You mentally begged for Herobrine to say something,  _ anything _ . You wanted to  _ understand _ . You stomped on the ground to try and release some of your tension. The noise caught Herobrine’s attention.

“Are you  _ always _ a brick wall to talk to?” you yelled, tapping your foot impatiently.

You saw his eyes flicker and he opened his mouth. You thought he would finally say something until he closed it. His hands fidgeted inside his pockets as he stared into your eyes. He seemed completely speechless and you didn't understand.

“What is your  _ problem? _ ” you shouted, your voice harsh and sharp.

You didn't mean to sound so snappy, but you weren't in the mood for his behavior. You didn't understand why he followed you so closely and yet shut up around you so quickly. It was infuriating to not be able to see his face or hear his voice. He was the only person with answers and he wasn't giving you  _ any _ . You were losing your cool and the bubble in your chest felt larger. Your throat hurt.

You saw Herobrine slightly flinch at your voice. His hands left his pockets and he played with that iron chain link necklace he always wore. You had almost forgotten that it existed. The last time you remember noticing it was when he was in your room.

You shook your head. Herobrine continued to fidget and remain silent as the bubble ever expanded. It filled your chest with an emotion you weren't used to. The tapping of your foot stopped as your leg became tired. You felt your energy build up again and you couldn't handle how jumbled it made you feel. You crouched down and held your head in your hands, trying to ride out the feeling. It wasn't helping.

“Y/n…?”

The sound of his voice made your teeth grind. You looked up from where you crouched. His eyes were dimmer now and you could finally see other features of his face. His eyes were outlined in dark circles and he had a roman nose. His eyebrows were knitted tightly and you could see the emotion in his face from it. You were glad you could finally see something in his expression but you were too angry at him to care.

“Talking to you is  _ pointless _ .” you muttered, but it was loud enough for him to hear.

You could see him tense his face. His eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched. You didn't know what it meant. You looked to the ground.

“Well, what  _ should _ I say?” he raised his voice.

You looked up at him again. His eyes glowed fiercely and you saw his hands clench. He wasn't making eye contact with you anymore.

“I don't want to be here any more than you do! I don't understand this either! I  _ honestly _ don't know! It's why I'm following you in the first place!” he snapped loudly.

You stayed where you were for a while before slowly getting up again, your hands still on your head. You tried making eye contact with him again, but he continued to look anywhere but you. You tried to calm your breathing, but you were having a hard time controlling your heartbeat and it affected your lungs. You considered what he said.

“If you don't want to be here, leave.” you muttered.

Herobrine nodded and you both stood there in silence. The tense atmosphere almost seemed to lift. You were both on the same ground. It was relieving, sure, but you were still face-to-face with a murderer. For some odd reason, you weren't as afraid of him as you were before.

“The thing is, I don't want to.” he could barely be heard, even in the quiet night.

You slowly lowered your hands from your head, still staring at the man's face. Herobrine glanced at you, his eyes flickering and dimming. Nobody said anything else and a gentle breeze blew over you both, making you shiver.

“Y/n…”

His voice made you suddenly alert. He stepped closer to you, but you made no move to get away. You could see more details of him. You could see the shine and rust on his iron necklace, the freckles on his face, a scar on his neck, the faint outlines of bone underneath his skinny arms. You were feet away from each other and yet you still felt calm. He said nothing, but you could see that he was hesitating.

“Who  _ are _ you?”

The question caught you off guard. You didn't know how to answer. Was it an invitation for conversation? Was it important? What did it  _ mean _ ?

“What do you mean?” you whispered.

Herobrine blinked and his expression changed abruptly. He looked caught off guard as well. He thought for a moment. The silence was heavy and you worried that Steven would be searching for you because you had been gone for a while, now. Yet, you waited patiently.

“Your town. The fire that...I started. Everyone got out alive. That has never happened before.” he muttered, taking his time between sentences.

You shook your head, you didn't need reminders. You noticed, however, that he hesitated when saying it. Was he regretful? Were you just imagining it? Of all the times he said ‘sorry’...did he mean every one he said? You got a headache just thinking about it. Herobrine spoke again.

“And the night we spoke...in your room. You...punched me.”

You nodded. You remembered that night. The fear and anger you felt and how Herobrine seemed so cold and emotionless. You weren't sure if you did damage, but you were so devastated that you didn't care. He was like a robot and yet there was so much to see on his face, now. He seemed to have changed since last you saw him outside of a dream.

“It hurt.”

He looked away as he said this. You were surprised you were able to hurt someone like him. Yes, he was thin, but you understood how dangerous he could be, the power within him, how strong he was. And yet you had succeeded in hurting him. You stood in silence as you collected your thoughts.

“Is that why you're following me?” you whispered.

Herobrine didn't look at you, but he shook his head. Was there something else? Was he not sure?

“I've been following you for longer than that, I admit. I guess you hurting me just…added to my list of reasons to follow you.” he stated.

“So what was the original reason to follow me?” you asked.

“I said before. The fire.”

“Yes, but... _ why? _ I saved people, yeah, but how is that any reason to be interested in me?  _ Anyone  _ could've done what I did.”

Herobrine looked thoughtful. You wondered if he  _ had  _ any reason. Maybe he did it because he found some wacko  _ just  _ interesting enough to follow around, but why continue? There was the punch, but you would think it would keep someone  _ away _ .

“Maybe...It's because you're still alive?” he said, but it sounded more like a question.

“Why wouldn't I survive? I breathed in smoke, but that isn't necessarily a death sentence.” you countered.

“Well, no one else has survived me before, even in small fires, so I have to assume  _ something  _ is strange with you.”

“Alright, fair enough.”

You both stopped talking and silence grew again. But this time, it wasn't awkward at all. It was rather peaceful, actually, despite the person you were spending time with. The tension had left completely and you were both left with the stars under you and the sound of tree leaves blowing in the breeze.

You didn't feel afraid of him anymore, which concerned you greatly. He was mere feet away from you and you didn't feel compelled to push him away. It was strange, for sure. Herobrine’s eyes were very dim now and the forest seemed darker. He avoided your gaze, but a part of you wished he didn't.

Time passed and your headache had subsided. Neither you nor Herobrine had moved an inch. It was like you were keeping each other there without trying to. You almost wanted to laugh at the situation you both were in. Look at you, existing and feeling peaceful in the same vicinity as a murderer, even feeling peaceful  _ because _ of him. You found yourself smiling at the absurdity of it all. Herobrine noticed.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked quietly.

“I just find it really dumb how i'm talking to you and not dead yet.” you replied.

Herobrine seemed to have been caught off guard by your statement. His eyes widened and flickered and his expression was unidentifiable. You wondered if you said anything wrong. Well, you did just call him a murderer, but you would think  _ he'd _ know that by now.

“I wouldn't...hurt you.” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

You blinked and your smile faded. Why wouldn't he? He tried to hurt you before, so why not now? You wondered if he had regrets. But if he  _ did _ have regrets about burning people, he would've stopped doing it.

“Why not? You've hurt so many others.” you said.

“I know, I just...I don't…I don't want to, anymore.” he replied.

He looked sad in his expression. You saw pain in his eyes and he looked to the ground. Couldn't he help the fact that he hurts people? He has the choice to not do it. Nobody is  _ making  _ him.

“Nobody's forcing you to kill people.” you bluntly said.

Herobrine nodded. He stuffed his hands in his pockets again. He looked almost like a small kid who got caught breaking the rules. You shook your head. This man was not innocent.

“It's my...instincts.” he whispered.

“To kill everyone you see?” you scoffed.

“No! It's my self defense.”

“Against  _ what? _ ”

“People…”

“And what do  _ they _ do to deserve it?”

“Attack me?”

Your eyes widened. You crossed your arms and tried to make eye contact with him, but he kept staring at the ground. Surely, there was more than that.

“That's it?” you asked.

“Is that not a good enough reason?” he muttered.

“Not to kill everyone else!”

“It's a recurrence! Every village i’ve been to has tried to attack me! It's not like I don't try! They're all the  _ same! _ ”

Herobrine’s eyes glowed brightly once more. His aggravation was obvious and you could see his clenched fists in his pockets. You feared you would make him angry at you. But was it really true? Surely, there must've been  _ some  _ people who liked him, and what reason did they have to dislike him before he murdered?

You thought of Steven.

“What about Steven?” you suggested.

Herobrine perked up suddenly. His eyes found yours, but you couldn't see any positive emotion behind them. You knew that the two of then weren't on the best terms, but they liked each other before, right? Herobrine opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, you heard a voice call out in the forest.

“ _ Y/n! _ Are you out there?”

Steven.

You turned around, towards the voice. You saw Steven's aqua shirt stick out amongst the dark trees. When you turned back around, Herobrine was gone. Steven's voice got closer.

“ _ Y/n! _ ”

“I'm here!”

You walked towards Steven and he saw you. He ran up to you, giving you a hug. You felt your feet leave the ground as he held you in the embrace.

“I was  _ worried!  _ You were taking so long!” he said, his voice relieved.

You smiled and hugged him back. He let go after a while and you both walked back to the campsite, forgetting about the firewood. As you walked and talked with Steven, you couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on you.


	13. Across The Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit rushed, but I was excited when I wrote it

Forests to mountains to desert. You tried to keep track of every biome you and Steven trekked across. It was easy to recognize the biome, but it was hard to keep track of each and every one of them you saw.

Hills to savanna to jungle. Each biome had its own excitement and adventure. Some biomes you were not fond of, but you had to go through them in order to find Sky City. The journey was mostly quiet, but you and Steven talked occasionally when you weren't climbing and jumping and building bridges across gaps.

Of course, the entire time, you felt Herobrine’s eyes on you. You never mentioned the night you spoke with Herobrine to Steven. You were worried that it would spark unwanted emotions. You knew that Steven and Herobrine used to like each other, but you knew it was different now. You were worried about what would happen if Steven knew Herobrine was following closely.

Swamp to plains to taiga. The temperature was dropping the more you travelled. It didn't seem to bother Steven, but it bothered you. It  _ really  _ bothered you. You  _ hated  _ cold weather. You decided not to mention it, however. The closer you were to Sky City, the better. Even in the cold.

Each time Steven made camp, you would be sent to find firewood. Every time, you would watch for Herobrine. You didn't know if you wanted to find him or not, but you  _ did _ know you wanted to talk to him. As strange as it was, you were almost  _ looking forward  _ to talking with him. Each time you looked for him, however, you never found him. For some reason, it disappointed you.

Snowy taiga to ocean. You didn't want to cross. You and Steven had both been travelling for weeks, now, perhaps months. It was strange how time flew. He told you that it was only a couple more days until Sky City. Then came the ocean. You refused to get on the boat with Steven. As much as you hated the cold, you also  _ hated  _ the ocean. You were also willing to bet that the ocean would become cold as you travelled through it, so that was a double no-no. You stayed rooted to the beach.

“Y/n, please. I've been across this ocean plenty of times, it's not dangerous.” Steven pleaded.

But it wasn't danger that deterred you. It was just the ocean. An endless abyss of liquid that could hold you and suffocate you. It could cling to you and drag you down to the bottom, never to be seen again. You shook your head.

“I promise I'll keep you safe!” Steven swore.

You shook your head. It didn't matter if he could keep you safe, you would be surrounded in water from every side. The mere thought gave you hives.

“Isn't there...another way?” you asked.

“No, Sky City floats over a different continent.” Steven answered.

You felt yourself dissociate as Steven tried to settle your nerves, but all you could hear was static. His voice sounded far away and all you could do was stare blankly. Your eyes focused on the ocean. The vast deep blue filled your mind like tar.

“Y/n?”

_ It was so far away. _

_ You could see the water. You ran to it and slipped, falling on the rocks. You looked up at him. _

_ “What's wrong? Gonna cry?” _

_ But you weren't. Your eyes were dry, but your knees were split open. Blood stained the rocks and the boy laughed. _

_ “Yeah! You're gonna cry! You're gonna cry!” _

_ You stared blankly at him. You didn't understand why he chased you. Did you do something wrong? _

_ “Say something! It's boring when you're quiet!” _

_ What could you say? You tried standing up, but the boy ran to you. He pushed you down. You fell onto the rocks again. You caught yourself with your hands. Your palms stung. _

_ “I hate you! Say something!  _ **_I hate you!_ ** _ ” _

_ He pushed you again. _

_ Your head went underwater. _

“Y/n!”

Steven grabbed your shoulders and you yelped. Your ears felt like they were filled with wax and water. Your head felt light and you grabbed onto Steven's shirt weakly.

“What happened? Are you alright?”

You could barely hear him. You shook your head and you heard Steven sigh. Your knees wobbled and you were scared that you would fall if Steven let you go.

Steven slowly lowered you down onto the ground and sat next to you. You tried to not stare at the ocean. The boat Steven made bobbed on the water as both of you sat.

“There's no other way.” Steven muttered.

You nodded. You didn't want to. You didn't want to face the ocean. Its vastness scared you. You knew you had Steven, but he can't save you from your horrid memories of the deep blue. You knew it was irrational, but you couldn't help it.

“I wish there was another way.” you whispered.

You knew it was childish, but you couldn't help but feel irritated. Who builds a large city over an isolated continent? How do the people leave? It's surrounded in ocean! But you supposed other people didn't share your thoughts on the ocean.

“I know. I'm sorry.” Steven replied.

You hugged your knees as you both sat in silence. Your mind felt like it was filled with static. You felt tired.

“What if I was unconscious?” you tiredly suggested.

Steven looked at you quizzically. You shrugged and looked away.

“If I was asleep. You could just put me in the boat and row us both there,” you continued, “I mean, I trust you not to throw me overboard.”

Steven looked nervous.

“I'm not sure if that's safe, or if you will even last long enough to make it there. Why? Are you tired?” he replied.

You nodded and closed your eyes. You felt yourself drifting before you felt Steven get up from beside you. Your eyes shot open again.

“I'm not sure if it's a good idea. Or even logical.” Steven muttered.

“It's just an idea.” you said.

“Is there any other way I can get you on the water?”

You shook your head. Just looking at the ocean made you feel queasy. You didn't want to be surrounded in it on all four sides. You stood up yourself, but didn't get closer to the ocean. You saw Steven drag the boat back on shore. He carried it over to you and helped you in.

“Are you sure this is a good idea. What if you don't sleep the whole journey?” Steven nervously asked.

“Do you have any other ideas? I want to go, I really do. I don't want to delay this trip anymore, Steven.” you answered.

Steven nodded and put his and your bags in the boat. 

“You know, Y/n, you can just call me Steve.” he muttered.

You started to drift off as he spoke. His voice faded away and you tried to let yourself embrace the feeling. You felt the boat move, but it felt like you were physically drifting. You could see ink filling your mind and golden sparks of dreams enter your vision. You felt something soft behind you. You were on a cloud. The sky opened. You fell asleep.

_ “Y/n…” _

_ A voice called out to you so softly. It reached your ears and it sounded so close. It was a familiar feeling. _

_ “Y/n…” _

_ You felt like you were floating again. Particles of some sort surrounded your vision. You saw the inky black of the void around you. You looked around for Herobrine. _

_ “Y/n…” _

_ He was close. Did you want to see him? Did you want to talk to him? Didn't you hate him? He was a murderer. He still is. Was he worth it? _

_ “Y/n…” _

_ You whirled around. You felt graceful, like a dancer. The particles were soft and felt like cotton balls. You could see something in the distance. _

_ “Y/n…” _

_ “Herobrine…?” _

_ You could see him. His glowing eyes were dim, but a trail of light still swam around his head. He approached you, but you didn't back away. His long and lanky limbs looked graceful in the zero gravity. His hair swirled around him, sticking up at odd angles. He swam in his shirt folds and you wished he had more appropriately sized clothing. He looked at you and you locked onto his eyes. _

_ “Y/n.” he said, almost whispering. _

_ “Herobrine.” you said, your voice sleepy. _

_ You both stared at each other as if only you two existed. The particles bounced off of you. You felt peaceful. _

_ ‘What am I thinking? He's a murderer! A monster! I should get away! He's dangerous!’ your mind was suddenly frantic. _

_ Your peaceful feeling was short lived. You suddenly had the urge to run away. You told yourself not to, that Herobrine hasn't hurt you yet, that it was going to be alright. Your conflicting emotions overwhelmed your system. Your body swayed and you felt sick. _

_ “Y/n?” _

_ You were alert. Herobrine’s eyes were bright and curious. You hugged your arms and tried not to look at him. You didn't know if you wanted to be there. _

_ A hand cautiously left Herobrine’s side and reached out to you. You looked at it suspiciously. His palm faced upwards as he held it out. Neither of you said a word as you carefully reached out for it. Your hand slid into his palm and he curled his fingers around it. You were surprised at how warm he was. _

_ You felt better instantly. You didn't know why. You kept staring at the two hands intertwined. Why? Why did he want to comfort you? You thought back to when you spoke in the forest. _

**_I wouldn't...hurt you._ **

_ You were still confused. What did you have to do with anything? What kind of person kills and then suddenly changes their mind? How did you ever fit into all this? _

**_I just...I don't…I don't want to, anymore._ **

_ You didn't understand. It was all too much. You swayed again and you wanted to rip your hand away from him. You looked at him and that urge went away. _

_ His face was soft. His eyes were dim and you could see each individual freckle on his cheeks and nose. Dark circles enveloped his eyes and his eyebrows were furrowed in worry. You found yourself wanting to cry at such an expression. _

_ You reached out to him. You don't know why, you don't know how, but you did. Your hand searched for his face. You felt the scratchy hair of his beard as you tenderly touched his cheek. He seemed shocked at the contact. You pulled away. _

_ “I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm doing-” _

_ “No. It's fine,” he cut you off, “It was...nice.” _

_ You looked at him in surprise. You felt awkward and you sensed that he did, too. You realized how close the both of you were. But it didn't feel tight or constricting. You felt, in some odd way, safe and peaceful. _

_ ‘Why?’ your mind chanted. _

_ You reached out for his face again. Your palm rested fully on his cheek. Herobrine seemed to lean into your touch. Were you imagining it? _

_ ‘Why? Why? Why?’ your mind continued. _

_ You couldn't help but stare into Herobrine’s eyes. They flickered as he slowly blinked. You realized how tall he really was, how far up you were reaching. You never noticed it before. You saw the iron chain link necklace swirl around his neck. You could see scars on his neck and collarbone. You looked up again. _

_ ‘Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?’ your mind buzzed. _

_ “I'm sorry if this is...awkward. You don't have to-” Herobrine started. _

_ “No,” you cut him off, “This is fine.” _

_ He nodded and you both just floated together. Your mind kept chanting, but you ignored it. You couldn't believe that the man you were holding hands with, that you were touching, was a murderer. But did you consider him a monster? You kept staring at him, even after his eyes kept closed. You couldn't help but try and count each of his freckles. It kept you concentrated on something. You found yourself smiling. _

_ No, this wasn't a monster. Just a broken man. You could see it in his eyes from the very beginning. _

_ You swayed and heard a voice. You could hear the ocean. You felt your hand slip away from Herobrine’s. The void seemed to grow lighter. You could see the sky again. _

“Y/n? We're here.”

Steven.

You were awake. You twitched and were alert. You saw the ocean behind you and you quickly stood up and away from it. You saw Steven next to the boat, watching you.

“Land ho.” he said with a smile.

You looked around you. A beautiful birch forest met your gaze. You looked back to Steven, your mind racing. He approached you with your bag and you took it from him quickly. He noticed your rashness.

“Are you alright?” he asked cautiously.

“I saw Herobrine.”


	14. Don't Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this with writer's block and tbh I'm surprised I even got it done in the first place lmao

Birch forest to desert to badlands. The continent seemed to fluctuate oddly between biomes. Your voice was tired from talking. Your throat was scratchy and you needed water. The sun had barely set before you and Steve settled for the night. He was silent the whole time. 

The tent was up and the stars came out. You were restless and all you could do was watch Steve breathe as he slept. You watched the sky. The stars winked at you as they dragged across the horizon.

You got up and took in the view from the mesa you and Steve parked your tent on. The warm colors cooled in the night. The reds, yellows, and oranges glowed purple, blue, and black and stretched on forever. The mesas looked like ocean waves frozen in time, rising and falling across the ground. You looked away. You wondered how far away Sky City was from there.

You carefully stepped down the mesa. Your foot slipped a few times, but you made it to the bottom in one piece. The blues and purples and blacks surrounded you in their shadows. You felt small compared to the giant mesas. You felt cold.

Hugging yourself, you wandered around aimlessly, wanting to tire yourself out enough to sleep. Your mind was still racing with things you wanted to tell Steve, but it would have to wait until sunlight. You wondered if Herobrine was watching you walk around. You tried to tell what you knew about Herobrine to Steve earlier. But he seemed so lost in his own thoughts. He was so quiet. It bothered you.

The ground was flat and hard. The ground pounded pressure into your joints and feet and it wasn't too long until your legs were tired. You sat on the ground occasionally, to rest, and then you got up again. You still didn't feel tired. You could see the moon high above you. It was midnight and your mind was still buzzing.

Your leg brushed up against a dead bush and it startled you. The scratching noise was so abrupt and loud in the silent night. Your heart fluttered nervously. As if you weren't already awake enough.

You sat down as your leg muscles throbbed. All you could hear was the wind and your own thoughts racing through your mind. You hugged your knees and stared up at the mesa you came from. You could still see the peak of the tent poke out from the top. You hadn't walked as far as you thought.

The night continued to endlessly stretch until you heard footsteps. They echoed off the mesa walls and sounded closer than they were. You looked up and saw a striking figure. Bright aqua stuck out like a sore thumb against the dark badlands. Glowing white eyes met yours. Herobrine approached you slowly, seemingly unbothered by the cold night. His face was unreadable as you patted the flat ground next to you. He accepted and you both sat shoulder to shoulder. You could feel a heavy warmness radiate off of him and you found yourself leaning in. Neither of you said a word. Neither of you had to.

The moon scraped across the sky and you tried to find your favorite constellations, but you didn't know if it was the right season yet. You pointed out one to Herobrine.

“That one is one of my favorites.” you said sleepily.

You didn't even realize how tired you had become. Your hand retreated slowly to your side as Herobrine’s attention was brought to the constellation. You could see his eyes flicker, you wondered what it meant since he did it so often. Did it let him see better? Was it like squinting or blinking? Your eyes drooped and you shook your head to try and stay awake. Herobrine looked at you.

“I don't have a favorite constellation. But I do like the North Star.” he muttered.

You gazed up at him. A breeze blew past and it ruffled his messy hair. The light from his eyes swirled around his head like a halo. He looked almost ethereal and magical. You would've questioned if he was real if he wasn't radiating so much heat onto you. You smiled tiredly at him.

“Is it because it helps you find where north is?” you asked.

“Yes. I think so.” he answered.

You both stared at each other for the longest time before you felt your eyelids droop again. You tried to catch yourself, but it felt so good to just lay your head against his warm shoulder and doze off. You forced your eyes open and saw Herobrine smiling at you. It was small and soft, but meaningful nonetheless. You've never seen him smile before. It filled your chest with fluttering. You were happy to see him happy, even though you didn't know why he was smiling.

You decided that you should probably go back to the tent. Your body was as tired as your mind. When you tried to stand, however, you found your legs to be extremely unsteady. You toppled backwards until Herobrine caught you. He was surprisingly strong for someone of his figure, or maybe you were just light. His arms were so warm, though, that you found yourself wanting to sleep right there.

Herobrine noticed your reluctance. He tried to hoist you up, but your legs refused to stand. You were leaning on him heavily and your eyelids were fighting to stay open. Your feet were slack and you worried that you wouldn't be able to make it back to the tent. That is, until Herobrine lifted you off the ground.

Your eyes shot open as your feet no longer felt stable. Herobrine grabbed under your knees and pulled you up. With one hand wrapped around your torso and the other around your legs, he lifted you with some struggle and your head fell in between his chest and the crook of his neck. He smelled like tree sap. Your eyes slowly closed as you felt yourself move through the air. Your head felt light and your senses filled with warmth and the smell of sap. Were you losing your mind?

You suddenly felt weightless and then heavy again, like you were flying but fell. Your head jerked up and your eyes fluttered open. You could see the tent close to you. Your vision was blurry but you could see the dark figure of someone outside the tent. Herobrine moved towards it, but you could sense hesitation in his movements. You tried to focus your vision but you were so tired.

Your eyes slipped closed and your mind drifted off quicker than you would've liked. You could hear talking just before you fell asleep. All became quiet and you felt soft and warm.

The next thing you knew, you wake up to the sound of chirping.

You sit up quickly. The morning light filtered through the tent slit and you pulled it open. The hot sun was harsh and you squinted to try and adjust. The fiery colors of the badlands heated your face and filled your vision with reds and oranges and yellows. You could hear something strange outside. Where was it coming from? Your sleepy brain tried to tell you to go back to sleep, but another part of you was curious as to where the sound came from. You pushed yourself up.

Your feet could feel the heat of the mesa rock even though your shoes. You recognized the sound as talking. Your brain woke up slowly as you scanned the immediate area for people. You couldn't see anyone. You turned and looked around the tent and found them.

Herobrine and Steve were sitting across from each other on the ground. They spoke in hushed voice until they noticed your presence. Herobrine’s white eyes blinked in surprise as you slowly came from around the tent. Steve turned around and you met with his deep blue eyes. You smiled at them and seated yourself across from both of them.

“Good morning,” you said, “What's all the commotion?”

It took a quick conversation with Steve to get you caught up. The two men had been talking through the night while you were asleep. Herobrine brought you to the tent and the figure you saw was Steve, who was trying to find where you went. After you fell asleep, Herobrine put you on your bed and tried to escape quickly, but Steve stopped him before he could. You listened as intently as you could in your tired state of mind.

Every now and then as Steve talked, your eyes drifted over to Herobrine. He looked awkward and uncomfortable sitting on the ground. His shoulders were tense and you could only imagine what he was thinking. You knew he could teleport, that much was obvious. If he really wanted to leave, couldn't he just leave? Though the man was a mystery, you knew he thought logically. You spaced out staring at Herobrine’s face as Steve kept talking. His voice faded into background noise as your eyes met with Herobrine’s.

“Y/n? Are you listening?”

You looked at Steve. You realized you had stopped paying attention to him.

“Sorry…” you said

“It's alright. I just want to make sure you agree to my idea.” Steve replied.

You blinked and realized that you had missed what he said. You looked to Herobrine again and saw him looking away from you, his figure tense and nervous. You could see his jaw clenched and fists balled. What was bothering him so much?

“Could...Could you say it again?” you asked, looking to Steve.

“I said that we should take Herobrine with us to Sky City.”

He said it so bluntly that it took you some time to fully register what he said. You heart skipped a beat as the full meaning hit you like a ton of bricks. So  _ this  _ is why Herobrine was so nervous. You understood now.

“That's a terrible idea.” you said.

“See? I  _ told _ you!” Herobrine interjected.

You looked to Herobrine and saw him glaring at Steve. His eyes glowed intensely and angrily. You looked back at Steve and saw sweat build on his face.

“I don't understand why you wouldn't want him to go with. We could monitor him better and he wouldn't have to watch at a distance.” Steve said, looking at you.

You gritted your teeth.

“It's terrible because Herobrine is, like, basically a criminal. We would be throwing him under the cart by taking him to the world's most secure city!” you replied, your voice rising.

Herobrine gestured towards you while staring intently at Steve. He squinted his eyes and Steve held his hands up in mock surrender. 

“We wouldn't throw you to the golems  _ willingly _ . I mean, you're safe with us, Hero.” Steve said.

Herobrine held his head in his hands and groaned loudly. You felt awkward being in between these former friends. You knew they had history, but you knew it didn't end up well at all. And, yet, Steve acted as though they'd never broke it off. You felt sweat build at your hairline and palms and shuffled where you sat. You kept your eyes trained on Herobrine.

“Please, please,  _ please  _ stop calling me that. Your dumbass golem police would have my  _ head _ . They don't  _ care _ if you're Steven, the Great Powerful Legend Man of God if you have  _ me  _ with you.” Herobrine said into his hands.

Steve looked away and huffed. You could see him getting frustrated with Herobrine and vice versa. You were getting antsy for some agreement.

“Okay, we can all agree that Steve's idea is terrible,” you begun, “But I do like the idea of you travelling with us.”

You gestured to both men as you spoke. You looked to Herobrine for some response. He had his chin propped up on his hands, but he wouldn't look away from Steve. Both of them were quiet and you let out a small sound of frustration.

“Dear  _ Gods!  _ I could  _ kill _ you both! Do you need  _ me _ to make a decision? Or can we be adults and come to an agreement?” you groaned.

Both men finally stopped looking at each other and looked to you with nervous expressions. You knew what each of them wanted, it was obvious, even without knowing the full history between them. Steve wanted his old friend back and Herobrine wanted to strangle Steve, or at least that was the vibe you were getting. You weren't entirely sure.

“I vote to have Herobrine travel with us.” Steve said.

When he looked at you, he was chipper. He flashed a smile and you couldn't help but smile back. You had to force your eyes from his deep blue irises to Herobrine’s face.

“I vote to not go to Sky City.” Herobrine said.

His voice was monotonous and blunt. You recognized that the tone he used was how he spoke when you first met him. You misjudged him for someone with no emotion or morality. Now that you looked at him, with his arms tightly crossed and his eyebrows knitted together and his intense gaze, you knew that he was just full of anger and didn't know how to process it. You sighed loudly.

“Well  _ I  _ vote to have some explanation as to why we should and shouldn't take him.” you said, looking to Steve.

He seemed taken off guard by your words. He rubbed his arms and cleared his throat, clearly not prepared to answer.

“Well, we could monitor him easier, he would be in our sights all the time, I'm sure you would love having him around and I would, too.” he trailed off at the end.

His twiddled his thumbs and avoided you and Herobrine’s gazes. You looked to Herobrine and saw that his face was red. Whether in anger or embarrassment, you didn't know but he definitely didn't look at ease. You patted Steve's shoulder and tried to get Herobrine to look at you.

“Herobrine.” you muttered to him.

Herobrine looked at you and huffed. His eyes were dim and he was hugging his knees.

“What do you think?”

“I  _ think _ I want to  _ leave _ .”

You saw him stand up and your heart skipped a beat. No, he wasn't supposed to leave. You didn't want him to leave. You stood up after he did. 

“Herobrine,  _ please _ .” you pleaded.

He stepped away from you and you stepped forward. It all seemed to happen so fast.

“I'm sorry.”

His eyes flashed brightly as you reached out for any part of him you could nab. Your fingers gripped his shirt and your head felt dizzy. Was it the light? The ground felt unstable and your stomach lurched. Your fingers slipped away from Herobrine’s shirt and you fell backward onto soft ground. Wait, soft? Your eyes shot open, you didn't even realize you closed them. Red pierced your vision and your body felt instantly hot and sweaty.

Your head whipped around. Fire danced around you. The air smelled like it was burning. You got up quickly. Nobody was around. Your feet sunk into something soft and brown and sandy. Small faces with sunken eyes peered at you from the ground. You screamed. You turned but all you saw was great walls of fire and reddish stone. You could hear wails and grunts of unknown sources. You felt like crying. Where were you? Everything passed in a blur. You ran, not knowing where you would end up. Your feet grazed against fire and you could see the great ceiling above you of the red stone. What was this hell? You tripped over something and landed face first into the ground. You felt tears slip, but they instantly evaporated along with the sweat you kept building up. You looked over at your leg and saw that your pants cuff was singed. Your exposed skin was red and angry. Your heart pounded painfully against your chest. Where was Herobrine? Where was Steve?

More tears fell and disintegrated. You choked on the smokey air and brought yourself to sit up. The wails and grunts continued and you felt like your ears were gonna fall off. You pressed your palms against your head but it only managed to make you sweatier. You gritted your teeth and tried to keep your thoughts straight and orderly, but the crushing weight of not knowing where you were and not knowing how you would get out pushed against you and made it hard to breathe.

You gripped your hair and tried to take in your surroundings. Red stone, brown sand, fire everywhere, howling and wailing and groaning and grunting, it was all too much. The red stone looked like intestines and blood, the brown sand looked like a prison for tortured souls, the fire was unrelenting and hotter than you ever experienced. You only heard stories of the Nether before, but you never thought you would ever get there.

You heard something approach you before you saw it. Your blurry eyes looked up in fear at the tall figure that came to you.

“Excuse me, small one, are you lost?”

The voice was deep and smooth, but feminine. Your eyes unblurred and you saw the dark bones of a skeleton. You hiccuped and nodded, willing to take any form of help at this point. You saw the stone sword tied up at her side and you were glad she didn't have it in her hand. She reached out her hand and you took it. You had never met a Mob like this before.

You looked up at her as you stood up. Her hollow eyes seemed to hold a softness to them. Her teeth seemed to curl up into a warm smile. You felt like crying again. You felt more tears evaporate from your eyes and the skeleton squeezed your hand.

“It's alright, little one, I will take you to safety.”


	15. The King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kinda long and exposition-y?? The next chapter will be more exciting, I promise.

You couldn't help but feel helpless in the presence of the skeleton. She pulled you through the Nether with enough force to break obsidian and you struggled to keep up with her long strides. You had no idea where you were going, but you were still so caught up in your emotions that you didn't care. The skeleton seemed to mean well. If she was really looking to hurt you then she could've used her sword already.

Neither of you spoke a word while you walked. Your feet got tired of walking on the red stone very quickly. You wanted to slow down.

“Hey...could we...could we take a break?” you stuttered.

She turned to look at you as she walked and shook her head.

“No, it is imperative that you get to safety as quick as possible.”

You sighed and tried to quicken your pace. The tall skeleton probably couldn't even get tired. You started to get out of your muddled state and had begun to wish you didn't accept her offer. But if you didn't accept, what would you have done? You tried to keep up as best you could.

The scariest thing about the Nether was the giant oceans of lava. As if regular oceans were bad enough, these ones could kill you on contact. You tried not to look at them, but they were everywhere you went. Fire kept trying to lap at your feet and you struggled to avoid it. Your hand started to get pins and needles from being tugged around. Your sweat kept dissolving off of your skin and it was really hard to get used to.

You started to get scared of where you were going. You tugged on your arm to try and get the skeleton's attention, but she didn't seem to notice. You tried to drag your feet, but she continued to pull you through it. You dug your heels into the ground, but all you did was hurt your feet. If you fell dead, she probably still wouldn't have noticed.

“Do not squirm. We are almost there.”

Oh. So she  _ did  _ notice. You gritted your teeth and grunted in response. Where  _ were  _ you going?

“Where are we even going?” you asked.

The skeleton turned around and smiled. It was strange to look at her bony teeth curling upwards.

“To the fortress. To safety.” she answered.

You still didn't understand. What was the fortress? You tried to distract yourself from the pain in your legs but there was nothing to stare at except a lava ocean and walls of red. You started to dislike the Nether. You stared at the spine of the skeleton in front of you, but it didn't serve much distraction.

“Why are you being nice?” you asked.

It confused you. She was a Mob. Mobs hurt people on sight. Here this Mob was, holding your hand and taking you somewhere safe. Or you at least hoped it was safe.

“You do not belong here, I can see that. You want to go home, I will take you home. You were brought here by mistake, I simply want to correct it.” she said.

Your eyebrows raised in confusion and intrigue. How could she guess all that?

“How do you know all that?” you asked.

“...Lucky guess.” she muttered.

You tried to pull your arm away again, but the skeleton continued to tug you around without effort. There was a chance it  _ was _ a lucky guess, but it was a tad too specific for you to take lightly. You tugged again and again. There has to be more than just a lucky guess.

“Isn't there  _ more? _ ” you asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked back.

“It's a bit too specific of a lucky guess if you ask me.”

“It is not your concern.”

“It is now!”

She turned to look at you, her face more annoyed and exasperated this time. She never stopped moving and you wished she would just slow down and talk to you. The whole situation seemed to dawn on you all at once. A strange Mob approached you, grabs you, and is taking you somewhere you don't know. She won't slow down, she won't talk, and you started to get nervous and paranoid. You tugged your arm again, your fists clenching

“Stop squirming! I need to get you to safety!” she started to yell.

“I'll stop squirming once you explain who you are, where we're going, and what the deal is with your ‘lucky guesses’!” you snapped.

You struggled against her grasp as she continued to pull you, picking up speed. Her bony feet slammed against the red stone and you could tell she was irritated.

“I will explain once we are there!” she yelled.

You glared and tugged your arm again. She tightened her grip on your hand and you begrudgingly allowed her to pull you.

“We are almost there.” she said, more calmly.

You saw her hold up her hand and she pointed in the distance. You held back a gasp as you saw the looming figure of a giant castle. The dark material it was made of blended almost perfectly with the terrain. It stretched upwards into a cylindrical hole in the ceiling and you could see all the way to the surface. You didn't even notice until it was pointed out to you. The bloody red sky peered down into the gaping hole and your eyes trailed down the side of the castle. Its pillars reached into pools of lava and you saw windows which showcased dim lights which glowed yellow. Your feet tapped against new ground and you looked down and saw that you had stepped onto a platform made of the dark material.

You were mesmerized by the glorious castle, but you were also terrified of what was in it. You tugged your arm again in fear, but the skeleton picked up the pace again. The platform you walked on led to what you guessed was the entrance to the castle. You saw what looked like zombies standing guard at the door, but they were pink. They held golden swords and the closer you got to them, the more they started to look like pigs. The skeleton approached them with no hesitation or fear and you just let her pull you towards them.

The guard on the right held out a rotting hand in front of the skeleton and, for the first time during this journey, she stopped. Your legs felt like they could finally breathe.

“ID.” the guard said, snorting.

“Nine. Let me in please.” the skeleton responded.

The guard shook his head and pointed at you. His red eyes glared at the skeleton.

“ID.” he said again.

The skeleton looked suddenly nervous and you could feel her fingers twitch. You craned your head towards her to get a look at her expression. She seemed awkward and unwilling to answer the guard.

“ID or no entry.” the guard said with a toothy snarl.

“I need to see the King. Let me in please. It's  _ imperative _ .” the skeleton barely whispered.

The guard snarled again and snorted into her face. He backed off and waved his hand towards the doorway.

“This is the last time I make an exception for you, Nine.” he growled.

The skeleton tugged you forward and you both went inside the castle.

The second you set foot inside the building, you could feel an extreme difference in temperature. It was cooler and it reminded you of home. You took a deep breath and the air no longer smelled of smoke. You liked this castle. Your feet were nearly pulled off the ground by the force of the skeleton who still pulled you. While the castle was nice, it was hard to enjoy while being tugged around like a toy.

“Is this...safety?” you asked.

“Not yet.” she replied.

You both headed down a hallway that was lit by the dim yellow lights you saw before. Windows overlooked the giant lava ocean and you were surprised you couldn't feel the heat radiating inside the building. Rounding a corner, the skeleton hastily opened a door and practically threw you inside. She came in after you and slammed the door shut.

You looked around at the room. The walls were made of the dark material, but there was a few small pictures taped to the wall. You saw a table and several chests along with empty armor stands and loose materials scattered on the table. It looked like a storage room.

“ _ Now _ this is safety.” the skeleton said.

Her back was pressed against the door, as if she was afraid of someone opening it. You were creeped out by her odd behavior and wondered why she was so hasty in her actions.

“I am sorry if I seem pushy. It's just that...well, the guards will be having one of their ‘sessions' soon and I wanted to get here before that.” she quickly said.

You nodded, not quite understanding the fullness of the meaning. You sat yourself on the ground with a groan. Your legs felt like they were going to fall off. You saw the skeleton sink down onto the ground, too.

Your heart was pounding from all the exercise, but it was also because you were trapped in a room with a stranger. If you were going to be here for a while, you might as well get to know your captor.

“So, what's your name?” you asked quietly.

The skeleton looked in surprise at you and then confusion.

“What do you mean? I said it before to the guard.” she answered.

“Wait, Nine is your name? Just Nine?”

“Yes.”

You blinked and processed the information. Your head was still sort of light from before. You tapped your fingers against your other hand.

“So what about your ‘lucky guesses’?” you asked.

“Uncanny.” she sighed.

“Uncanny?”

“Yes. At least that's what the King calls it.”

“Who's the King?”

“I am not to say. If you want to know, you will have to see him.”

“Didn't you say before that you had to see him? Take me with you.”

“I will, but I doubt he would want to speak to a human.”

“Why not?”

“Bias.”

You huffed and crossed your legs. Nine seemed to mirror your movements. Was it your imagination?

You heard a bell go off outside in the hall. It was loud and piercing and you put your hands over your ears to block it out. Hundreds of footsteps followed soon after the bell.

“Why are you doing that, little one?” Nine asked.

You removed your hands once the noise stopped. Your head was pounding.

“The noise outside was...very loud.” you said.

Nine nodded and put her own hands over where her ears would be. She had a thoughtful expression for a second and then removed her hands.

“I see.” she muttered.

“Was that the guards?” you asked.

“Yes, I think so.”

“What do they do?”

“Train.”

“Anything else?”

“This time of day is strictly for training.”

“Are you a guard?”

“No. I am an Oracle.”

Your eyebrows raised. She could see the future? Is that what she meant by uncanny? Is that how she found you?

“Is that...why you..” you started.

“Yes. I saw you in a vision.”

You nodded silently. It was strange, for sure, but it was interesting. Could she predict your every move? Part of that was highly unsettling and you didn't know how to handle that information. You felt awkward in her presence, more so than before.

“I work for the King as an Oracle. If he wants to know important things, he will know them. I cannot predict everything that will happen, only truly important things. Sometimes I predict something that never comes true. It's a strange power, to be sure.” she said.

You nodded as she spoke. Her explanation made you feel a bit calmer around her, but it still felt awkward. She predicted you, after all, and you didn't think you were super important. Why  _ could _ she see you? All you did was show up out of the blue with no idea how you ended up there. What's so important about that?

“I'm not sure I count as something truly important. How come you saw me?” you asked.

Nine looked thoughtful, but then shrugged.

“I'm not sure. You must be important somehow. I could look, if you want. I normally only look for the King, but you seem to have no connection to him and yet I saw you. I'm as curious as you.” she said, scratching her chin.

“Sure. If you want.” you replied.

Nine nodded and placed her hands over her hollow eyes. Her head fell forward and you gasped slightly at the sudden and sharp movement. You watched intently at her form until her head shot upwards again. The back of her skull hit the door behind her and you jumped at the sudden noise followed by her shout of pain. You heard her groan and then she went quiet again.

“Well. I did see something.” she said.

You straightened your back and waited for her to continue. She rubbed the back of her skull and sighed.

“I don't know how far into the future it is or if it will even happen, but…” she hesitated.

You waited patiently. She seemed reluctant to continue. She sighed again and gave you a strange look.

“Do you have a connection to the God Herobrine?” she asked quietly.

You blinked and tried to register what she said. God Herobrine? Herobrine wasn't a God...was he? You found yourself nodding despite your confusion. Nine pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

“It makes sense. I saw the both of you.” she said.

“I do know Herobrine, but...he isn't a God…” you mumbled.

Nine looked at you curiously. She seemed to mull over your words for a long time.

“Of...course he is...God Herobrine is a frequent visitor. It's why you ended up here.” Nine bluntly stated.

You squeezed your eyes shut and opened them again and saw stars dance around your vision. Herobrine was a God?

“I'm here because of him?” you asked.

“Yes. How else? I saw it myself.” Nine said.

“You said it was a mistake earlier.”

“Indeed. I wish to correct it. That is why I'm taking you to the King.”

“Is Herobrine here now?”

“I don't know.”

“He's a God?”

“Yes. Are you alright?”

Your hands shook. No, Gods weren't real. They were myths of faith. Gods weren't real. You stared at Nine.

“No. I'm not alright. Gods...aren't real.”

“Of course they are. They walk among us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Both God Herobrine and the King are Gods.”

You blinked rapidly in disbelief. Nine stared at you with concern. You held your head in your hands. Gods couldn't be real…

It was silent for a long time.

“Training will be over soon. Why don't we go to the King?” Nine quietly suggested.

You nodded and stood up as she did. Your hands were still trembling and your mind buzzed. She took your hand and gently guided you outside the room.

You both slowly walked together down multiple halls and up many staircases. The higher up you went, the colder the castle got. You stared at the walls and their decorations as you passed them. Pictures of relics and strange creatures hung on the walls. You recognized one of the creatures as the Ender Dragon. You remembered being told tales and shown pictures of the Ender Dragon in all her glory. But why was a picture of her in the Nether? You couldn't recognize any of the other characters. You left the hall and the walls were plain once again.

You and Nine stayed quiet through the whole journey. The dark material the castle was made out of faded to solid quartz the further up you went. The rooms and halls became smaller and you suspected that you were getting closer to the King. Anxiety rose up in your chest as you remembered that Nine told you he was a God.

‘Well, apparently Herobrine is a God too and he isn't so bad.’ you thought, trying to cool your nerves.

The unsettling weight of meeting a God who could possibly be more unstable than Herobrine was terrifying, however. You couldn't get this lump out of your throat. You felt lightheaded as you headed up another staircase.

“We're here.” Nine said.

You looked up at a giant set of doors made of gold. Two dark skeletons who looked like Nine stood on each side of the door, their swords in hand. You tried to swallow, but your mouth was dry. Nine pulled you along.

“Halt. State your purpose.” one of the skeletons demanded as you and Nine approached.

“I must speak to the King.” Nine stated.

“Identify your guest.”

“A subject of my visions.”

“...Very well.”

The skeleton seemed reluctant to let her through, but gestured towards the door after contemplation. Nine pulled you close to her and slowly pushed open the doors.

The first thing you noticed was how bright the room was. It blinded you for a second before your eyes adjusted. It was the coldest room in the castle and you rubbed your arm with your free hand to try and keep warm as best you could. Once your eyes got over the brightness, you saw how big the room was for how high up the castle you were.

The room was empty save for a dark chest, a beacon that was turned off, and a large golden chair which sat a dark and large figure. Six eyes stared at you with a menacing energy and you felt shivers in your body that weren't from the cold. Three heads, each with a different expression, trained all their eyes on you as you walked in with Nine. A body floated in the air above the chair and you felt rather small in the presence of the King.

“My King. I had another vision and acted upon it. This human is lost and requires-”

“Quiet, Nine.”

All three heads spoke at once. The loud voice of the King echoed throughout the room and clashed against your ears. Nine looked surprised at his interruption. She kept quiet, although her face seemed upset.

“The human can speak, can it not?”

This time, only the middle head spoke. You noticed that it was bigger than the other heads. Your mouth felt dry and you found it hard to find words when all you could do was stare at the multiple heads. Their empty eyes seemed to pierce right through you and you squeezed Nine's hand. She looked back at you and you tried to clear your throat.

“Uh...um...I'm...I'm y/n…” you said, struggling.

The King seemed to squint his middle head’s eyes at you. It made you just a bit more uncomfortable.

“How did you get here, y/n?” the King asked.

“Uh, well...I'm not...sure…” you replied.

Nine gave you a look and you remembered what she told you earlier. You spoke again before the King could.

“I mean...I got here through, uh...my friend…” you said.

“I see...and who is this ‘friend’?” the King asked.

“Uh...well, uh…”

Nine squeezed your hand and you gulped. How would the King react to you being friends with Herobrine? Would he care? Nine said that Herobrine was a frequent visitor, but did that mean he even spoke to the King at all?

“Hero...brine…” you mumbled.

The room was silent and you saw the expression of each of the King's heads change. The left head wore an expression of confusion and surprise, the right head seemed indifferent, and the middle head stared at you with a look of disbelief. You awkwardly shuffled your feet and tried not to look away from the King's heads.

“Herobrine? Did I hear you correctly? You said Herobrine?” the King quietly asked.

You nodded and a sigh left the King. You looked at Nine and saw her strange expression. She seemed just as confused as you.

“He was here not too long ago...panicked...said he was searching for someone…” the King's heads spoke among themselves in hushed tones.

You listened closely and waited for him to address you again. You felt awkward just standing there. The heads’ eyes finally left you as they talked to each other, but you worried about what they said that you couldn't hear. The voices stopped mumbling and the three pairs of eyes settled on you once again.

“If what you say is true, then Herobrine is your ticket out of here,” the middle head said, “You will remain in this castle until he returns.”

“My King, if I may interrupt.” Nine said.

The King looked at her and you felt her hand squeeze yours tighter. Looking up, you saw that her face was anxious.

“This place is not safe for the little one. Couldn't you contact God Herobrine so that y/n could leave quicker?” Nine asked slowly.

The King looked thoughtful, but shook his middle head.

“I have no way of contacting Herobrine without contacting the others. The human must stay a while longer.” the King replied.

Nine still seemed uneasy, but she nodded. You sighed and felt a bit better despite having to stay in the Nether longer. You had high hopes that Herobrine would come back.

Nine seemed to dismiss herself and walked back to the door, dragging you along. You complied and walked with her until the King spoke.

“Halt, Nine!” the King demanded.

Both you and Nine turned around to face the King.

“Yes, my King?”

“The human stays here.” the middle head spoke by itself.

Nine seemed shocked when you looked at her. She slowly and hesitantly let go of your hand. She walked towards the door and turned around to give a small wave before the doors slammed shut.

The room was silent, all except for the echoing of the slammed door. You felt too nervous to turn back around towards the King. You could hear incoherent muttering behind you and then the King spoke again.

“I am aware that humans need sleep. Unfortunately, time has no hold on this place. You will find that you cannot sleep here. I do not think you will stay so long, however.”

You slowly turned back around and faced the King again. The pristine white room was glaring and heavily contrasted the dark form of the King. You felt anxiety creep up your throat and you were at loss for words. The King seemed to stare into your soul and you refused to stare back.

“If you're wondering why I kept you here, it's because of convenience. Better to have Herobrine spot you on sight rather than search the castle. It's faster that way.” the King continued to speak even though you didn't respond.

You slowly nodded, but didn't say a word. The whole situation was too weird for you.

“Keep talking and I might blow this room up!” a singular voice hissed.

You looked up in curiosity and saw the right head of the King talking independently. Its face was contorted in anger and staring at the middle head.

“No one wants to hear us! We stay silent until E comes back, that's it! No one needs to talk, you fool!” the right head continued to say.

You stood in confusion and bewilderment as the right head hissed abuses to its companion. Were all the heads separate entities? They all seemed to react differently to situations. The middle head seemed calm and collected. The right head seemed bratty. You wondered what the left head was like.

“Hold your tongue, we have a guest!” the middle head snapped at the right head.

The right head snarled at the middle head and looked the opposite direction with a huff. You watched awkwardly from the sidelines. Should you say something?

The King sighed and turned his attention to you. 

“I apologize.” all three heads said.

You shook your head and waved your hand.

“It's fine.” you said.

“I am...well,  _ we _ are not used to human guests. Most of them are violent. But, if Nine has no fear of you then neither do we.” the King said.

You nodded as he spoke. You didn't expect the welcome to this world to be very peaceful. You were pleasantly surprised, though. You still felt awkward around the King, despite the peace.

“It's understandable. I'm not used to, uh...talking to Gods…” you stated.

The King seemed surprised and awkward. The right head loudly groaned and the left head looked away from you. Only the middle head seemed to keep its attention on you.

“Do not...call me that. While true, it brings discomfort. I don't think of myself as a God, or even anything similar. A king makes more sense for me. I'm sure my other parts would agree, too.” the King said.

You blinked and looked to the right and left head.

“Other parts? You mean your other heads?” you asked.

The right head scoffed and glared at you. The left head looked back at you. The middle head seemed uncomfortable.

“Listen, human,” the right head snapped, “Don't think we are so different! We are  _ one! _ Don't think we're some sort of puzzle!”

The middle head loudly shushed the right head. The right head looked offended and turned away again. You shuffled your feet.

“I'm...sorry.” you awkwardly said.

“Don't be. A common misconception. I'm sure you didn't mean it.” the King said.

“So, what  _ do  _ you mean by ‘other parts’?”

“Other...Gods, as you would put it. They, like me, do not consider themselves as Gods, however. We came from the same stone. I consider us as close as family, even though we are so far apart and so different in our ways.”

“There are more?”

“Always. Herobrine is one. The Ender Dragon is one. The Elder Guardian is one. I am one.”

“I still can't...believe it. That Gods are  _ real _ .”

“They are.  _ We  _ are. There are Gods, however, much bigger and more powerful than us. Consider us as Lesser Gods compared to those you already know.”

“All those books telling about Gods were truthful?”

“Anything from a book is written by an individual. Anything can be lost in translation. But the statement of the Gods’ existence is truthful.”

You stared at your feet, lost in thought. It still didn't translate correctly in your head, even after hearing it so many times. You always believed in Spawns, sure, but you were told that they just...always existed. People spoke so much about Notch that you had begun to  _ believe  _ in him, but you never thought he was  _ real _ . Steve really was made by a God. Herobrine was really a God. The King was really a God. Notch was real. You stood in silence.

“Are you alright?” the King asked.

“I want to go home.” you wearily said.

The King's middle head nodded in understanding. The room washed over with silence again and the only thing you felt like you could do was wait. You lowered yourself onto the ground and crossed your legs.

“How long until he comes back?” you asked.

“Soon, I imagine. With his powers, no inch of the Nether should be untouched.”

“I still...don't understand how I got here.”

“Neither do I. What do you recall?”

“We were back home and he wanted to leave, but I didn't want him to. I tried to grab him and I just felt…dizzy. Then I was here.”

“Then that explains it. You were accidentally teleported here. You are very lucky my Oracle found you.”

You nodded. Silence washed over you both, again.

You couldn't help but switch your eyes between the heads of the King. They each wore their own expression and they all stared at you. The right head seemed to calm down from its outbursts. The middle head seemed to have softened up since you got here. The left head was as stoic as ever. You wondered what they were all like when they were alone. Did they talk to each other often? Did they ever get lonely?

“You know...he was very worried about you.”

Your head perked up at the voice. The middle head was speaking.

“Herobrine?” you asked.

“Yes. He was hysterical. Thought he might've dropped you in lava. Only stayed here for about a minute screaming his head off before searching for you. If I understood a word he said, I would've helped. Now, I do understand what he was saying.”

“He was... _ that _ worried?”

“Of course. Though, I have no idea why he cares so much for you. How long have you known him?”

“I'm not sure? A month? Somewhere around there? Maybe more?”

“Do you love him?”

Your eyes widened at the question. It caught you off guard and made you fumble over your words. How was love involved? It seemed to come out of the blue!

“Love him how? Like, romantically or platonically?”

“I do not know the difference. Whichever.”

“I...don't know…”

It was a strange thing to think about. You hadn't known him for very long. Well, you hadn't known Steve for very long, but you knew you liked him. Herobrine was different, though. Herobrine was an anomaly. You couldn't quite pin him and it bothered you. You didn't understand your feelings for him. He made you angry and you hated him for what he did, but you enjoyed the times you spend with him.

“I guess I love and hate him?” you said, unsure.

The King seemed to smile at your answer. All three heads changed to expressions of amusement.

“Don't we all.” the King said.

You smiled back at the King and you both stayed in silence for a while.

Until a high pitched shriek pierced the quiet air.


	16. The Quiet And The Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, oh boy, more repressed memories!

Instinctively, your hands covered your ears. The sound banged off the walls and the King whipped his heads around frantically. The noise came from somewhere inside the room, but it felt as if the screaming was right next to you.

“The alarm!” you heard the King shout.

The King flew off of his throne and made his way over to the beacon you saw earlier. The beacon was glowing a green color. You watched, mesmerized, as the King approached the bright light beam.

The sound stopped.

The beacon continued to glow green, but the piercing noise ceased. All the King's heads wore the same expression. Worry. You removed your hands from your ears.

“It's Herobrine. He signaled the alarm.” the King said.

“Is he alright?” you asked.

“I don't know.”

The King moved towards the dark chest in the corner of the room. The eye printed on the front of the chest seemed to glow slightly. The King opened the top and a piece of paper fell out. You watched as it fluttered to the ground.

“I told him to stop making paper notes.” the King sighed.

You slowly got up and walked over the where the note was. You picked it up and held it between you and the King.

_ ‘The forest is quiet. _

_ No one is here.’ _

The King groaned in agitation and flew away, landing back on his throne. He had a look of anger and irritation on all of his faces. You walked over to him.

“What does it mean?”

You waved the note in front of him. He looked at it with distaste.

“Code. Herobrine uses code that only me and my other parts understand. When Herobrine says ‘quiet’, he doesn't actually mean quiet.” the King grumbled.

“Well, what  _ does  _ it mean?” you asked.

“Dead. He means dead.”

Your eyes widened and you scanned the note again. ‘The forest is quiet’? The forest is dead? Why is that important?

“This is unlike him,” the King's heads muttered to themselves, “Why would he do such a thing?”

You kept reading the note over and over. The words seemed to not want to stick in your brain. The King kept talking to himself frantically. The room held tension that you haven't felt since Herobrine first showed himself to you.

The memory was still fresh, even after a month. His eyes. His smile. His words. His fire.

Your eyes widened. Fire.  _ Fire. _

“He burned a forest.” your shocked voice spoke before you could think.

The King turned to you as your voice filled the room. His middle head nodded and your mind buzzed with static.

Visions of fire filled your eyes. You could still smell the smoke from the buildings. You could feel the heat. The giant red inferno that engulfed your village with hunger. Your brain switched the images of buildings with trees. Tall, beautiful trees being eaten by ravenous flames.

You squeezed your eyes shut from the visions. You thought he was above this. Of all the kindness and gentleness he showed you, it meant nothing if he continued to burn.

“Why...would he set off an alarm if he burned a forest? Was there anyone...in it?” you asked.

“No, Herobrine’s alarm cannot be set off unless he has his own beacon, which he doesn't. His alarm only triggers when he uses high-intensity magic.” the King explained.

“Does the alarm go off often?”

“Surprisingly, no. This took me off guard.”

You stared at the green glowing beacon. Was this alarm set off when he burned your village? Did all the Lesser Gods know what danger he put innocent people in? Your mind filled with a wave of emotion. Was it anger? Sadness? Fear? You didn't know.

The King seemed indifferent to the situation. The way he reacted struck a nerve in you. It took all you had to not scream. Herobrine burned a forest. It didn't matter if no one was around, he still burned it without a reason. He  _ could have  _ hurt someone. He could've hurt himself, or some traveller, or animals, or it could've spread to a village.  _ Why _ did he burn it? What could he  _ possibly  _ gain from this?

“Why did he do it?” you asked

“I don't know. It is  _ very _ unlike him.” the King answered.”

“How are you so  _ calm?” _

You snapped before you realized. The King seemed taken aback by your loud voice, but you stared at him unwaveringly.

“He...does this often, even without the alarm going off.” the King said quietly.

“And you're just...used to it?” you asked.

The King nodded solemnly and you silently seethed. The note you held crunched up in your fist. You felt anger boil inside you. You thought he was over it. He showed himself to be kind and compassionate and caring, but then he turns around and pulls  _ this? _ You couldn't believe it. You dropped the note on the ground and it landed with a soft scrape on the quartz floor. The room was uncomfortably quiet.

“Where is he now?”

Your voice filled the room with a tense energy. Anger seeped out in your words and your body felt impatient and uncomfortable. The King's heads seemed to stare at you for much too long before a thoughtful look came over their faces.

“Could he be...he couldn't?...Would that be possible? No. Perhaps.” the King heads talked to themselves.

Your foot tapped against the floor loudly as the heads' conversation continued. Their voices dulled down as they stared at you again.

“There are only three places I can think of. He might be in one of them. I have no way of getting you to either of them without a portal, however. And they are far apart from each other.” the King explained.

You listened with annoyance. How the hell were you supposed to find him in a timely fashion?  _ He _ was supposed to come to  _ you. _ The heads turned to each other and muttered incoherently while you stood impatiently. You felt like your chest was going to burst with fury. You choked it down, but the burning feeling left you even more antsy.

“Come on!” you yelled, “Can't you knock down each option? Process of elimination, ever heard of it? Isn't there  _ one  _ place where he would be more than others? A place he'd be willing to burn? It can't be  _ this  _ hard!”

You waved your arms around as you ranted. The King's heads watched in awe as you poured your angry emotions out on the table. You could feel your face grow hotter as you spoke. You've never been this  _ furious  _ before!

You huffed as you finished, staring at the King as his heads stared at you in bafflement.

“ _ Well? _ ” you shouted.

“Well, uh...there could be one place. But it's a long shot.” the King said.

“Then we'll work with it! We need a portal, you said?”

“Yes, but we would need to either find or build one.”

You groaned in agitation. You threw your arms up and paced around the room. How long would  _ that  _ take? You felt the burning sensation in your chest return. You tried taking deep breaths to cool down, but it didn't help much. Your mind buzzed with static and noise. It was hard to handle what you were feeling.

“Perhaps it won't be so hard.” the King said.

You turned to him and stared back and forth between each set of eyes.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“Nine might know.”

Your mind lit up at the mention of her name. Of  _ course. _ She was an Oracle! She has to know where a portal is. It  _ has _ to be important enough for her to see! You smiled at the King and the antsy feeling in your body seemed to lift.

“Let's ask her.” you said.

Before you knew it, Nine was called back in. Her bony form stood in front of the King as he made his request. You stood by her as she sat on the ground and covered her eye sockets. You mentally pleaded that she would be able to find a portal. Both of your hands crossed their fingers tightly as you stared in anticipation as Nine's head fell back.

She woke with a start.

“I saw something!” she shouted.

You internally jumped for joy as she looked around the room. If she was right, you would be out of here and back in your own world.

And with Herobrine.

The thought made you relieved, but also angry. You wanted to yank him by the hair and yell in his ear about why _you_ _don't set forests on fire_. You felt like strangling him, screaming at him, and kicking his ass.

You stuffed the feeling down. You focused on the present.

“You saw a portal?” you asked.

“Yes, I'm sure it was.” Nine said.

You smiled and helped her stand up. You would be home soon.

You and the King were relieved about the discovery. The King called you over to him and he leaned forward toward your ear.

“There is an Ender Pearl in the chest. Take it. It is enchanted to take you to where I think he is. Herobrine left it long ago.”

You nodded. You went over to the chest and took the Pearl out, stuffing into your back pocket. The King dismissed the both of you and you headed out with Nine again, holding her hand. She lead you down the fortress stairs and you forgot how warm it was in the lower levels. By the time you got to the front gate, you were sweating again.

Your brain was whirring like a machine. You moved with Nine without pain in your legs because you were so focused on your goal. You both moved as quickly as you could and you felt jitters trail down your spine. You didn't know why.

The fire around you was bright and hot, but you could barely feel it with the state you were in. Dark sand stretched out in front of you and while it hindered your speed, you forced your legs to keep going forward as fast as you could. When Nine picked up speed, you did. You felt like you were getting close.

When you thought about going back home and facing Herobrine, your breath caught in your throat. The more you pondered on it, the more you felt anxiety gripping your insides. You reflexively squeezed Nine's hand. What could you possibly do to discipline Herobrine? He burned a forest, but did he even feel bad about it? Was it like when he burned your village? Would he even listen to you?

Thoughts zipped through your mind and made you feel panicked. You hoped that Nine would come with you into your world. Your free hand traced the curve of the Ender Pearl. You stared at the ground in silence. You felt your heart race.

‘Calm down. He'll listen to you. He has to.’ you thought.

But you worried that you were wrong. Nine picked up speed again. You kept up, wondering if you were there. You looked up and saw it.

The purple glow of it hit your senses first. It had strange particles emitting from it and it swirled and swooshed like a liquid. You could see green grass on the other side of the purple screen. Your eyes lit up and you pulled Nine towards it.

“That's it, isn't it?” you asked.

“Yes.” Nine said, breathless.

It was beautiful. The closer you got, the louder it was. It made noises like dripping water and whispering voices and echoes of something you couldn't recognize. Your hand reached out to touch it. Your hand made contact and you felt cool air touch your skin on the other side. The purple curtain felt like gel as you wiggled your fingers.

“This is weird.” you muttered.

“Are you going through?” Nine asked.

“Will you go with me?”

You tugged her hand, but she shook her head.

“I can't.”

You felt the anxiety pound at your chest. Nine let go of your hand and she stepped back. You stood there, your hand stuck in the portal. You had to go through. You couldn't hesitate with all the chaos that happened. You took a deep breath and tried to calm your heart.

First an arm, then the shoulder. You held your breath and your head went in, too. You pulled your legs through, then your other arm. You were home.

The noises of the Nether suddenly stopped. Bird song and wind filled your ears. You slightly shivered with the change of temperature. Trees rustled around you and you saw bright, pretty flowers. You wished you had the time to enjoy it. Your hand went to your back pocket, sliding out the small Pearl.

“Please work.” you quietly pleaded.

You didn't know where to throw it, so you tossed it upwards. The Ender Pearl caught in the air and started moving on its own, gliding over the treetops around you. It went at a speed you couldn't detect and before you knew it, the Pearl had went away.

You felt defeated at first, until you felt pins and needles barrage your body. Your head felt light and dizzy and your body felt like it was flying. Sparks erupted in your vision and you squeezed your eyes shut. The ground seemed to leave you and then suddenly reappear. Your knees gave out and you landed on the ground. You caught yourself with your hands.

Opening your eyes, you could only see black. You thought your vision was lost until you saw the color of your skin against it. You rubbed your hands against the black. It cracked and turned to dust under the slight pressure you put against it. You realized it was grass.

You head shot up and you looked around frantically. Trees without leaves surrounded you. Their bark was black and peeling and the slight wind turned small twigs into powder. You gazed in horror at the desolate landscape. You coughed as the wind dusted your face with the remnants of wood.

You stood up. You looked where you fell and saw a bald patch of dry dirt. The burnt grass stuck to your pants and palms. You started slowly making your way through the dead forest. The grass crunched loudly under your feet and you winced every time you took a step. The forest was silent and you strained your ears for any sign of anyone.

“Hello?” you called.

You flinched at your own loud voice. You looked up to the sky and saw how dark the clouds became. You wondered if it would rain. The thought made you shudder. You had no shelter and you didn't know where you were. The only thing you did know was that Herobrine was here.

Where was he?

You kept walking, trying to pick up the pace. He couldn't have gotten far, could he? The fire seemed to have died out and you wondered if he had already moved on. You sighed as defeat weighed on your chest.

You couldn't think of any way you could find him other than the plan you made with the King, which wasn't working. You searched your brain for any other method of finding Herobrine, but you didn't have any idea where you were or where to go from there. You were lost. Your heart felt heavy and hurt.

“Hello?” you called out again, louder.

Your voice trailed off and you were met with silence again. You hugged your arms as you forced yourself to walk. You were still angry at Herobrine, but a part of you was scared. You were scared of what happened. What caused this? What caused Herobrine to burn a beautiful forest? You tried to imagine what the forest might have looked like with vivid greenery, but your mind was too bothered.

“Hello? Herobrine?” you called as loud as you could.

Silence again. You started to become frightened. You felt the chilling wind blow over you and your body shook. Your anger melted into fear and you felt tears blossom on your eyelid. You wiped them away quickly. You tried to think, but nothing came into your mind. You felt as empty as the dead forest.

“Please! Is anybody there?” you yelled.

Tears slipped out of your eyes and you cursed. You rubbed your face and tried to clear your senses. The sky rumbled and you looked upwards in fright. There was nowhere where you would be safe from the rain.

You started to run.

The sky rumbled again and you felt tears fly from your face. The grass cracked and withered under your feet, but you pushed onwards. You could see something other than a tree in the distance. You felt a stitch grow on your side and your feet ached. Water dripped on your head and your brain was on high alert.

You saw a hill. You skidded towards it, the rain beginning to become heavier. You threw yourself under the ledge of the hill. The black grass turned to dust underneath you and all you were left with was a dry patch of dirt to lay yourself onto. You held your arms above your head as thunder boomed in the sky.

The rain became a storm, but the ledge of the hill kept you mostly dry. You held yourself against the wall of the hill as thunder and lightning struck in the sky. Tears that could be mistaken for rain poured down your cheeks. You rocked back and forth.

“Please...anyone…” you felt yourself mutter.

The dead forest wilted with the impact of the rain. Branches, big and small, crashed to the ground from the weight of the water. Grass was uprooted and fell apart around you. A part of you wished you were back in the Nether with Nine and the King. You knew you didn't belong there, but you felt safe. You wrapped your arms around yourself.

“For the Gods, will someone answer me?” you screamed.

Your voice was drowned out by the storm. You felt your heart sink. You flinched as lightning lit up the dead forest. The black bark seemed even darker with the harsh light behind it. You closed your eyes and tried to calm yourself.

_ “Look at you!” _

_ Laughter erupted around you. Children of all ages pointed at you as you walked by. Your clothes were too big on you and hung awkwardly. You shivered as the woman guided you past the children. _

_ “Don't mind them.” she whispered. _

_ You felt strange as they pointed at you. What did it mean? You were brought inside a warm house. The laughter of the children still echoed in your ear. _

You opened your eyes. Lightning crackled and you jumped and felt your heart race. You clutched your shirt and breathed heavily.

“What…”

It came again.

_ You fell on the ground. A teenage girl smiled wickedly at you. _

_ “Get up Pots Jr.! You're no fun when you don't fight.” she mocked. _

_ You didn't want to fight. You wanted her to stop. You got up, but she kicked you down again. Your face slid against the grass. She laughed. _

_ “Dear Notch, you're hilarious!” _

_ She kept kicking you down as you tried to get up. Blood trickled from your cheek as you scraped against a rock. Your palms were dirty and scratched. You struggled to stand again. _

_ “I could do this all day! You're funny, Pots Jr.!” _

_ She laughed and it hurt your ears. _

You gripped your hair. Your fingernails pinched your scalp as you tried to shake the memory.

“Stop…”

Thunder boomed.

_ The water was cold and unforgiving. Your clothes rippled around you as light faded away. You got further from the surface and you forgot to breathe. _

_ Water filled your lungs. You choked and struggled. Your tiny body tried to swim, but you were too panicked to think straight. You waved your arms around. How do you swim? You only sunk further down. You gripped your throat. Your eyes and lungs stung. _

“I said  _ stop it!” _

Lightning and thunder struck and you screamed. Your voice felt raw as you just yelled with no words. Your chest vibrated with the force as you shook your head, trying to get rid of the memories. Your voice trailed away. Why now? Why rain now? Your glossy eyes stared vengefully at the sky. You stood up and started screaming again.

“ _ I hate you! I hate you!  _ **_I hate you!_ ** _ ” _

You gripped your hair again and screamed until your throat gave out. Noiselessly, you continued to scream until your chest burned. You fell to the ground. You banged against the dirt with your fists. Dusty, dry earth caked your knuckles. Tears flooded your face as you screamed. You felt weak.

“Herobrine you  _ bastard!  _ **_Where are you?_ ** _ ”  _ you yelled.

Only thunder and lightning and heavy rain answered your calls. You scratched at your arms with your dirty fingernails. You bent down and banged your forehead against the ground. Your head hurt and felt dizzy as you fell back against the wall of the hill. Your vision swam with colorful sparks as your tired body began to shut down.

You felt the last of your tears drip from your face as you fell asleep. You cursed the Gods. You cursed Herobrine. You cursed yourself.

‘Please be in my dreams,’ your thoughts pleaded, ‘So I can kick your ass…’


	17. Almost Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thalassophobia's a bitch, huh?

All was dark and quiet. You opened your eyes to clear skies and gentle winds. Your clothes were soaked in the front, but you were unharmed. Dead and decayed branches and tree trunks lay in front of you, giving you somewhat of a shade from the glaring sun. You sat up and felt a crick in your neck and your back aching.

You faced the sky and saw that it was clear of any clouds. Your arms were covered in mud and you tried to wipe it off on the wall of the hill, but it had already dried. You got yourself to stand up, leaning against the hill as your legs spiked with pins and needles. The air felt strange.

You walked out from underneath the ledge of the hill, stepping over the dead tree debris. The air smelled musty and dry, like you were breathing in dirt. You slowly made your way through the forest again, picking up where you left off last night. You were glad that the rain didn't last until dawn.

The sun was high in the sky and you felt the heat beat down on your wet clothes. You kept your head down and your thoughts quiet as you meandered through the dead forest. You still didn't know where you were or where you would go, so you felt as if walking aimlessly was your only option. You felt groggy, but more awake than you had been all month. It was strange to have your mind be so awake, but your body so ready to fall.

Eventually, the forest ended. The dead, grey forest started to fade into a pale green. You were happy that the fire didn't travel so far. The black trees disappeared behind you and you walked into another forest biome with lush oak trees. Sounds started to surround you. Birds were chirping and you could hear the distant noises of animals grazing and cooing. You suddenly felt out of place being in such a flourishing area and covered in grey mud. You looked around for a stream or lake to wash yourself in.

You wandered in a haze, keeping your eye out for anything that shined blue. You passed by animals that fed on the green grass, and you couldn't help but place your hands on their backs as you walked by them. Their strong bodies and beating hearts made you feel better after being in such a dead and desolate area. It felt like you stepped into another dimension again.

You kept looking for water and eventually found a river. The water seemed clean and you tested the temperature by sticking your hand in. You started to remove clothes. First your pants, then your shirt, then socks and boots. You stuck them inside the river to wash out the dirty rain water and mud. You wrung them out and placed them in a spot in the grass that the sun shone on to dry.

You dunked your head into the water. The cold liquid filled your ears and nose and cleansed your eyes. You tangled your hands in with your locks and started to scratch out the dirt and dust. You could see the dirt particles and dandruff leave your scalp and float around in the water. You tugged your head back out and snorted out any water left in your nostrils. You whipped your head around, sending droplets of water everywhere on the ground around you. You bunched up your hair in your hands and slicked it back against your head.

Your feet went into the water. Then you lowered your legs in, then you sunk your torso in. You leaned your head back against the bank as your body floated in the cold river. You couldn't remember the last time you had a bath. It felt nice to clean yourself.

You scratched at your arms until the mud flaked off. Your skin was angry and red by the end of it, but your arms were mud-free. Several animals came to you and sniffed your face and hair as you tried to bathe. You responded by flicking water into their faces and watching them back off in surprise. You smiled as they huffed at you and left you alone.

Time ticked on tirelessly. The sun dipped over the hills in the distance and you were disappointed that you'd have to get out of the water. You lifted yourself up onto the bank, your now-dry clothes waiting for you. You wandered around in a circle, naked, for a few minutes until you felt you were dry enough to put your clothes back on. By the time you were fully clothed again, the moon had peaked out over the horizon.

You kept wandering around the forest, feeling better now that you were washed, but you knew that you would most likely come across a few Mobs. You tried to keep your footsteps quiet as you walked. You hid behind trees every time you felt that you saw Mob. You wished you had your stuff on you.

You wanted to take down a tree to make a sword, but you worried it would bring too much attention to yourself. You searched the ground until you found a stick. Picking up the stick, you held it against a nearby rock and sharpened the end to a point. It wasn't an iron sword, but it kept you armed in case of a fight.

You walked silently on, only hiding a few times when you thought you saw something. You held the makeshift spear closely to your chest, keeping your eyes peeled for danger. It reminded you of your first week of travelling. You barely had anything because you packed a bag so quickly. You had a dull wooden sword and leather boots as your only protection. They wore down after the first 3 days. You barely survived and you wondered if travelling wrote your death sentence.

Now, almost 4 years later, you knew it was the best decision you've ever made.

The night was oddly silent. Growls and groans erupted from some parts of the forest, but no Mob ever approached you. You still kept a firm grip on your spear, but the Mobs that you did see didn't seem interested in you. You continued to walk onwards, finding yourself in a plains biome after some time. Poppies and dandelions brushed against your ankles as you walked through the calm area. The moon was high up in the sky and you found yourself admiring it and all the stars that twinkled. You temporarily forgot about the Mobs and let yourself idle for a few minutes to just stare at the sky.

Gentle winds whistled in your ear and made you scratch your face. You remembered where you were and you felt a strange kind of pressure in your chest. You sat down to think.

You were lost, that was definite. You had no idea where you were, where Herobrine or Steve were, or where you could go next. You thought about finding a village, but you didn't have any money on you for an inn room or food. You thought about building your own home, but you've never done that before and the thought of settling somewhere scared you. What if no one was able to find you again after you settle?

Thoughts that you kept quiet all day flooded your mind like a waterfall. It was nice to have your mind be awake, but it was unpleasant to have to listen to it. You traced images in the dirt with your spear as you thought about what you would do next. What  _ could _ you do next? Go back to the Nether? Where was a portal? You could try and retrace your steps, but that meant going back to the dead forest, which you hated the idea of.

Was there any other place you could go to? Sky City? You had no idea where it was without Steve. The village you met Steve? You doubted it was anywhere near here. Your home village? Definitely  _ not. _ You strained your brain for ideas.

For some reason, you couldn't get the Nether out of your head. You knew you couldn't go back to it, but you kept thinking of the King and Nine. More exclusively, the King. He had access to communication that reached his “other parts”. If only you had that sort of thing. That would be  _ real _ handy.

What if you could reach them, though? They all had designated areas, right? You didn't know about where to find The Elder Guardian, but you  _ did _ know where The Ender Dragon lived. Would it be possible to get there?

‘No,’ you thought, ‘I don't have any Eyes of Ender.’

The thought plagued you, however. Would it be possible to find where the Ender portal was without Eyes of Ender? It seemed ridiculous and impossible. Besides, The Ender Dragon probably didn't take as kindly to strangers as the King did.

But what else could you do? Just sit and wait for someone to find you? No, you  _ had  _ to do  _ something _ , even if seemed stupid. The End houses a Lesser God and you were going to find her. If she didn't seem to like you, maybe you could mention the King and get her to soften up. Was she as kind as the King? You could only hope.

But you still had no idea how to get there. You could go looking for Endermen, but how many would you have to take eyes from until it was enough? The thought made you shudder. Even if they were hostile, you didn't like hurting Mobs. Could you ask them? Would they be as hospitable and fluent as Nine? It scared you, the thought of talking to a Mob, but you could try. After all, you still had a spear if they turned on you. You were sure it wouldn't work in your favor, but you couldn't keep waiting around. You got up and went searching for any Endermen in the forest.

Holding your spear next to you instead of in front of you, you peered around trees and bushes in search for Endermen. You saw Zombies and Skeletons and Spiders that ignored you, but no Endermen. You passed by a Zombie, wondering why it didn't turn around and bite you. Was it blind or deaf or something? You thought it was strange.

You thought you saw an Enderman once or twice, but it always teleported away to someplace you couldn't see. You tried to follow one, but it seemed very adamant on continuously teleporting. You began to wonder if Mobs were deliberately avoiding you. The thought was silly and strange, but it made sense. Why, though?

You eventually did find an Enderman you could confirm the existence of. It didn't seem to see you, so you snuck up on it and observed its back. Purple particles seemed to spawn from its thin back, giving an odd glow in the dark night. You couldn't help but stare at them fluttering to the ground. You reached up to tap the Enderman on the back. Or, at least, it looked like its back, it could've been its butt, but you didn't know since it was so tall.

The Enderman slowly turned around and looked down at you. You gave an awkward smile and opened your mouth to speak, but the Enderman teleported away.

“Shoot,  _ no,  _ I need your help!” you called.

The purple particles from the Enderman seemed to spark  into the air. The glowing remnants trailed away from you over to a beach. You chased the particles to where they moved to. Seconds later, the Enderman reappeared. It looked around for a moment and, upon seeing you run after it, teleported away again. You scowled and kept chasing the particles.

“Come on! Just give me a chance! I won't hurt you!” you called.

It reappeared again. Its face seemed to show a bit of annoyance at seeing you again. It disappeared and you restrained yourself from yelling. You just kept following the particles closer and closer to the beach.

“Please?” you asked, quieter this time.

You were on the sand. The particles seemed to stop at the edge of the ocean. The Enderman reappeared again. You stayed as far from the ocean as you could while still being in sight of the Enderman. It stared at you and you stared back.

But it didn't disappear this time.

“Okay, uh, this is weird, but I need your help.” you said.

The Enderman's eyes squinted at you. You remembered you were still holding your spear and you put it down in front of you. You lifted your hands to your chest and kept eye contact with the Enderman.

“I'm not a threat, I swear. I just need help. Directions, if you will.” you said, trying to be as polite as possible.

The Enderman looked to the ocean behind it and then back at you. You wondered why a being that got hurt by water would come so willingly close to it. Did it know you didn't like the ocean? You shook the thought.

‘It's probably just glad I'm giving it space.’ you thought.

You waited for some kind of response from the tall creature. All it did was stare angrily at you, then at the ocean, then back at you. Over and over. Was it trying to say something? You didn't understand.

“Are you...trying to tell me something? I just...I just don't understand.” you nervously said.

The Enderman started to growl at you. You flinched at the noise and struggled to keep looking at its eyes. One of its long-fingered hands left its side and pointed at the ocean. Its jaw unhinged and you could see sharp, blackened teeth. You didn't take that as a good sign.

“I don't...understand...i just need help.” you said.

The Enderman hissed and teleported before you could do anything else. You watched in stunned silence at the empty spot it left.

Feeling defeated, you started to plan your next course of action until you felt something grab you. It squeezed your ribs harshly and lifted you off the ground. You kicked and screamed as you started to move in the air. You looked down and saw black, long-fingered hands around your waist. They were taking you to the ocean. 

You started to shout and struggle as you inched closer to the water. The deep blue pit seemed endless and suffocating as your mind started to derail and unravel. Strips of memories flashed before your eyes as the Enderman carried you to the ocean. You just wanted help. You didn't want to drown. You started to slap and scratch and punch the hands that held you, but it kept moving you closer.

The hands suddenly disappeared and you fell from the air. Your foot scraped against the beach bank and the salty water felt like a punch to the face. Your vision was filled with blue as you sunk into the ocean.

Your legs kicked and your arms flailed as your mind started to panic. The surface kept getting further away and you tried to kick upwards and swim, but you didn't know how. Your arms rubbed up against seagrass and kelp and kept getting tangled in their shoots. The sticky and slimy leaves of the underwater plants stuck to you like a wet prison.

You struggled and fought against the sticky plants as your lungs begged you to breathe. You had forgotten to take a breath before you got plunged under. Your face felt strained and your chest hurt as you tried, and failed, to free yourself.

‘Not again!  _ Not again!’ _ your mind screamed.

The water swished loudly in your ears as you flailed your limbs again. The plants kept untangling and tangling again with your arms. Your breath was running out and fear pumped your blood. You needed to breathe.  _ You needed to breathe _ .

The underwater currents pulled you from the plants and only managed in throwing you into another batch of slimy leaves. The wall of the bank got further and further away as you were helplessly thrown around the ocean. You began to panic as the surface got farther away and the bank became lost in the distance. You were going to be lost at sea.

Dark shapes and blue blurs kept dancing in your vision. You couldn't tell if they were real or not. Your struggle left your body tired and you tried to keep yourself moving, but it was getting hard. You could swear that the dark forms around you started to look real. Were they dolphins? No, they were too big. Your vision sparked with colorful dots as your oxygen ran out.

You were going to die.

Something grabbed you.

You thought it was just another plant until it started to pull you. Your vision was taken over by sparks of color and you couldn't see whatever was carrying you. Your brain started to cease function as you were pulled along. If whatever grabbed you wanted to hurt you, you could only hope it would make it quick.

Your vision turned to black.

You were drifting.

-

_ “Y/n?” _

_ You didn't want to open your eyes. You could still feel the strong pull of water on your skin. Your clothes hugged tight on you as a garbled voice reached your ears. _

_ “Y/n!” _

_ Louder. It sounded familiar. You struggled to move your body. Everything felt heavy and wet. You tried to open your eyes. _

_ “Y/n, please answer me!” _

_ It was calling your name.  _ **_He_ ** _ was calling your name. Your eyes fluttered open, but everything around you was blurred and blueish. _

_ “Y/n, where are you? Please tell me!” _

_ ‘I'm here.’ you wanted to say, but your voice was lost. _

_ You tried to reach out towards whoever spoke. Your limbs felt like metal blocks. You struggled to see past the warbled blue curtain in front of you. _

_ “Y/n!  _ **_Y/n!_ ** _ ” _

_ ‘Herobrine.’ you tried to say. You tried so hard. Why was it so hard? _

_ A face came closer to you. Glowing white orbs of light shone through the warbled blue. A hand reached in. You could see it clearly. Freckles and thin fingers. You reached to touch it. _

_ “Y/n! Where are you? I'll find you! Please, where are you?” _

_ Your fingers brushed against his. He grabbed your hand and tried to pull you out. You didn't move an inch as he struggled to free you. You opened your mouth to speak, but all you breathed in was water. You coughed and sputtered. _

_ You could feel his panic. His garbled voice called out to you, but you couldn't make out any words. You started to feel panicked yourself. His strong hands kept a good grip on you, but you struggled to let him pull you. _

_ You were still angry. _

_ Your lips mouthed his name. No sound came out no matter how hard you tried. You struggled to keep your eyes open. Even in your dreams, you still struggled to breathe. Your legs dangled helplessly. _

_ Water pounded in your ears. You felt a current push your body. The hand that gripped you pulled and you felt yourself move. A shockwave went through your body. Your vision cleared. Air. _

_ Your muscles tensed as you fell from whatever held you. The black void filled your eyes as Herobrine tugged you towards him. You felt warm. But you pushed away. _

_ His glowing eyes dimmed as he saw you. His face was worried and tired. Your hands were still intertwined with his. You pulled away from his touch. _

_ You were still angry. _

_ You looked into his face. His eyes flickered as you opened your mouth to speak. Water sprayed out as you coughed and struggled to talk. _

_ “Bastard...you...idiot…you... _ **_fucking_ ** _...idiot.” you said between coughs. _

_ Herobrine looked at you, confusion in his eyes. You wanted to punch him. You wanted to strangle him. You thought he was better than this. _

_ “I don't understand.” he said, quietly. _

_ You squinted and clenched your jaw. You wanted to stay calm, but how he acted so innocent in front of you made you furious. You clenched your hands into fists. You tried taking a deep breath, but the water in your lungs rattled. _

_ “The forest...is quiet..? What fucking...gave you...the right..?” you struggled to say. _

_ Herobrine’s eyes widened and flickered. You could hear the gears in his head turn and clank. You waited in silence for him to say something. Herobrine could only stare. You grinded your teeth together. _

_ “Y/n-” he started. _

_ “The ocean.” you cut him off. _

_ He blinked and you repeated. _

_ “The ocean.” _

_ The void began to fade away as you closed your eyes. You couldn't be around him. Not like this. You wondered if you would still be alive when you woke up. Herobrine’s voice called after you, but it was so far away. _

_ You could feel heat on your body as you drifted. _

Your eyes snapped open. You sat up and found yourself wrapped in a thin, dry, warm sheet. Underneath the sheet, you were naked.

You breathed and found yourself able to without difficulty. Your lungs rattled, but there was no pain. You looked around the room, wondering if you were dead and if this was the afterlife.

Tying the sheet around your shoulders like a cloak, you held it around you and stood up from the makeshift bed. The cold floor tile sent a jolt of shock up your body. The ground was slightly wet and slippery, but you moved with it and walked around the room you were in.

The room was empty, except for the bed and you. It was lit by blue tinted lamps that swirled like a ripple in water. The walls and floor were made of a greenish blue tile that emitted wetness and smelled like fish. The more you breathed in the scent, the more you wrinkled your nose. Still, it was better than drowning. At least, you  _ thought  _ you were still alive.

You wandered around the room until you saw a doorway, which you almost missed due to it being the exact same color as everything else. You poked your head around it and saw a long hallway with nobody around. You stepped out carefully and started walking down the left side. At the end of the hallway was a giant pool of water.

You looked down into the pool. It had a floor and walls with doorways. You turned your head to try and see into the doorways, but all you found was even longer halls. It was like a maze.

You stepped back from the pool and went back into the hallway, going through to the other side. Down the right side was another pool, but this one was dry. You looked around for a ladder or stairs, but you couldn't see any. The thought of not being able to get back to the room you woke up in scared you, but you didn't like the thought of waiting, either.

Carefully letting go of the sheet around you, you swung your legs over the edge and held the rim as tight as you could. Lowering yourself down slowly, you searched for the floor with your feet. As you held on with the last of your fingers, your toes brushed the ground. You let go and slipped on the slimy ground. Catching yourself, you carefully lifted your feet and slowly made your way to the doorway in front of you, clutching the sheet around you again.

The blue lanterns from before illuminated the wet hallway. Water dripped from the cracks in the ceiling and the sound of them hitting the ground echoed around the room you found yourself in. You clung the sheet closer to you as you felt the room get colder.

The room was empty, but had a choice of three doorways on each wall in front of you. Feeling dazed and confused, you chose the door on your right hand side. As you peered down the hallway, you could see a flood of water draining onto the floor.

Reeling back, you decided on the left door instead. Peering in there revealed a dimly lit room that was dry and seemed promising. Holding your sheet closer, you slowly made your way down the hall, trying to force your eyes to adjust to the increasing darkness. As you made your way inside the large room, it was pitch black and impossible to adjust your vision. You held onto the sheet tightly as you carefully placed your feet in front of you.

The slick on the floor was incredible in this room. You could hear water sloshing near you and you wondered if another pool was close by. You struggled to walk around without being able to see, so you tried to go back into the hallway you came from.

Suddenly, the lights came on.

A blinding flash of bright whites and blues pierced your eyes. You held your hands up to your eyes, forgetting about the sheet and letting it expose your chest to the cold. You tried to peek out of your arms, but it hurt your eyes too much.

“You are awake.”

A booming voice echoed around the room. It clanged against your ears and made you move your hands to the side of your face instead of your eyes. The blinding light hurt your head, but you forced yourself to look ahead. The lights had illuminated the room brightly. A giant waterfall graced your vision. It flowed into a hollow pool and left the ground you walked on dry, but half of the room an aquarium. You saw through the water at a strange, large creature with a giant eye.

Spikes poked out of its scaly skin and you could see a huge fish tail protruding from its back. It was round and 2, maybe 3, times your size. You struggled to keep eye contact with it as it gazed into your eyes unblinking.

“You have recovered from your near death experience, I assume?”

His voice was like a clashing of metal against your head. It was masculine and demanding, but too loud for you. It pounded against the room walls and you found that your voice was lost. You nodded, nonetheless.

The creature blinked and you searched his face for a mouth from which he spoke. You couldn't see anything and you wondered if he talked by some other means. You could see the gills on the sides of his face flex and you wondered if they acted like his mouth.

“Your clothes are dry. I will have someone bring them to your room. You are only permitted to stay here for three days, then you must leave. Understood?”

You blinked in surprise at his quick demands. Three days was more than what you wanted to spend  _ here.  _ You tried find something to say. You wanted to leave now, but how would you get home? Was this creature good at geography? Did he have maps you could use? Questions buzzed your mind as you stood still and awkward.

“Yes.” you said quietly.

“Incredible, it speaks. Is there anything else you wish to confess to me, human? Like how you got here?” he said, his eye squinting.

You felt electricity in your fingers. How could you explain it? You were thrown into the ocean, yes, but anything before that was confidential to you. You had no want or need to talk about your life story with a weird fish.

“I was...thrown into the ocean.” you answered.

“Your voice irritates me. You are keeping something from me, however. You must share more.” his voice crackled.

“I'm sorry. I don't see why I have to.”

The creature growled and you felt your stomach twist. Did you say something wrong? Were you not allowed to keep things to yourself? You felt sick and dizzy.

“I think a good reason is because I was contacted by one of my other parts about you. You match the description exactly. Tell me how you got here, human.”

You blinked in surprise as he spoke. ‘other parts’? He couldn't, could he? He definitely wasn't The Ender Dragon, but could he be the Elder Guardian?

You mentally rolled your eyes.  _ Of course  _ he was.

“You mean...the King?” you asked.

“Whatever he wishes to be called is not my concern. How did you get here? You waste time.” the Elder snapped.

You flinched and mulled over your words.

‘He knows Herobrine, just say it. He knows Herobrine, just say it.’ your thoughts pleaded.

“Herobrine.” you simply said.

“Herobrine?” the Elder echoed.

“Yes.”

“That's quite the name to throw around, human.”

“I know.”

You both stared at each other for the longest time until the Elder decided on your words.

“Elaborate.” he said.

You wanted to smile when you saw he believed you. You thought about what to say next carefully.

"I suppose it started today? Or at least yesterday." You began.

You let yourself rattle off about the current events. The Elder Guardian seemed interested and captivated by your story, despite his sharp words. You didn't say every detail, but you said enough to explain the situation you found yourself in.

You told of the conversation you had with Steve and Herobrine. You explained how you ended up in the Nether and with the King. You talked about the forest and Herobrine burning it and how you went to it to find him. You said, with a fresh memory, that you were dropped into the ocean and passed out and talked with Herobrine in a dream.

After you were done, the Elder Guardian remained quiet for some time.

"Is that it?" He finally said.

"The short version, but yes." You said.

He grunted and turned away from you. Your attention was briefly brought back to the slime and algae under your feet. The room was silent, with only the sound of bubbling water to fill it.

"This is most strange." The Elder sighed.

You looked back at him. He stared at you with his giant eye. You couldn't tell his emotions, but you could tell by his voice that he was confused.

"The forest?" You asked.

"No. He does idiotic things all the time. Your dreams concern me." He said.

"My dreams?"

"It is most strange how you can dream of him and converse with him through your dreams. I know of his powers, but...he uses powers like that sparingly."

Your eyebrows raised. Your dreams have always been weird and terrifying. Sure, the Herobrine dreams were hard to get used to, but they served useful. You thought of it as a normal thing by now. Besides, if Herobrine  _ really _ used powers like that sparingly then you wouldn't have dreams like that at all. If what the Elder Guardian said was true, then Herobrine made even less sense to you.

"I have dreams like that all the time. I mean, not every time I fall asleep, but it happens often." You said.

" _ Often?" _ The Elder boomed.

You flinched at the sudden loud voice. The Elder Guardian's giant eye was wide in shock. You nodded and he gave a groan of agitation.

"What? What's bad about it?" You asked.

"Nothing! Absolutely  _ nothing!  _ Get  _ out!" _ he screamed.

You flinched again and moved quickly towards the door, slipping and sliding clumsily. The Elder was still screaming even after you left the room. You came out of the hallway and slid to the doorway you came from, still moving as quick as you could. Entering into the pool, you jumped up on the wall, reaching for the rim. You struggled to get back up to the top, but you eventually managed and threw yourself into your room. You were breathing heavily as you fell on top of the bed.

"What...the hell…" you whispered in between breaths.


	18. To Be Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So ur naked and one of ur friends is bein a lil shit. Wyd?

You wanted to leave. That much was obvious. When you told Herobrine that you were in the ocean, it was probably a bad idea. How was he supposed to know which ocean and where in? You pressed your face into the soft bed sheets and screamed in frustration.

You hoped that he would be able to find the right ocean. You didn't even know if was even coming for you at all. Hopelessness crawled into your head, but you tried to keep yourself optimistic. After all, he seemed adamant on finding you when you saw him in your dreams. You hoped it wasn't just your imagination.

Even still, a part of you wasn't sure you wanted to see him again. You were still furious about the dead forest. Herobrine was the best way of getting out of this place, but you kind of wished he wasn't. Even though you saw him as a sort of friend, he kept hurting your trust in him.

Your mixed emotions scrambled your brain. You wanted to keep a straight mind, but you kept wallowing in your feelings for Herobrine. You wanted to be with Steve again and go to Sky City without any interruptions. Would you have to leave Herobrine to do so? Maybe, but he's been so troublesome…

Time slipped away and you wondered if you had been lying in the bed for hours. You didn't want to go to sleep. If you did, you might see Herobrine again. Did you want to see him again? The question still plagued you. You didn't know if you would ever be able to answer it. You shivered and curled up into the sheets. You wished you had someone to talk to, but you didn't know if anyone lived here other than the Elder Guardian. And speaking of, you still wanted to know why he yelled at you.

You understood that Herobrine was a puzzling man, but how the Elder responded to the dreams with him confused you. You had gotten used to them, but the Elder claimed that Herobrine hardly used magic for that purpose. If such was the case, then why have you dreamed of him so much? And you  _ knew  _ it was real, otherwise he would have denied ever doing so.

Herobrine’s actions seemed messed up and stupid the more you thought about it. Why use so much magic to see you in a dream? Why burn down a forest for no reason? Why deny going with you and Steve, but be so ready to find you after losing you? It made no sense. Why follow you if he didn't want to travel with you? Why were you told he used magic sparingly when he used it so frequently? You clutched the blankets around you tighter.

Why? Why?  _ Why? _

And why  _ you?  _ Out of everyone that the madman could chase after and stalk and talk to, it had to be  _ you. _ This menace to society, this idiot magic man, was so  _ obsessed  _ with you. And for  _ what?  _ What would he gain from this? What could he hope to  _ do? _

The room was quiet and you were glad  _ something _ was. Your mind buzzed so loudly, it was hard to concentrate on anything else. You were glad there was nothing else to concentrate on.

You closed your eyes to try and block out the thoughts. You tried not to think about Herobrine.

You tried thinking about someone else. Alex. Steve's sister.

Was it dumb? Yes. Did it work? Also yes.

You didn't know what she was like or how she looked, so you tried to imagine it as a distraction. You thought of her with long hair that was dark brown like Steve's. She had blue eyes and fair skin with freckles. You thought of her as being opposite to Steve for some reason. Serious and analytical, like a doctor or something. Maybe she was.

You imagined her being strong and protective. She would shield you from the bad in the world and protect you from your dumb thoughts and Herobrine. You smiled and wondered if she would really be like that. You could only hope to meet her one day.

Your mind quieted down. You felt more peaceful and calm. You still wanted to leave this place, but at least your thoughts were less crushing.

There was a silence.

And then, there was a strange noise outside your room. A wet noise, like something interacting with water. And then a familiar voice.

" _ Human! _ I require your attendance!"

You sighed when you heard the Elder calling from down the hall. You wrapped the blanket around yourself again and made your way outside.

You followed his voice to the other end of the hallway you passed up before. You saw his giant eye stare at you from the large water-filled pool. He seemed scarier when closer to you.

"Human. I require your assistance with something. You will follow me."

You blinked in surprise as he spoke. He stared on expectantly and you shook your head.

"Uh...I can't breathe underwater, Elder…" you nervously said.

"Obviously. That is why you will follow me. Can you not hold your breath for a little while?" He said while rolling his eye.

"How long will I have to hold my breath?"

"Long enough to find the right potion so that you can make the rest of the journey. Now take a deep breath and jump, you waste time."

You felt nervous jumping in. A part of you knew it was ocean water, but the other part told you to just jump since it wasn't as big as the ocean. Testing the water with your foot, you remembered that you still had the blanket around you. If you swam, you would have to take it off because it would float and get in the way. It was better to swim naked, but…

"I'm naked, Elder."

" _ What?" _   
"I'm nake-"

"No one  _ gives a shit _ . Jump  _ in _ ."

You were surprised at his response, but also relieved. You untied the blanket and instantly felt cold. You hoped that the water would be a bit warmer.

You dipped your foot in and lowered yourself into the water. You took a deep breath and quickly put your head under before you could change your mind. Water rushed to your ears and other places that made you uncomfortable, but you ignored it as best as you could.

The Elder swam under the water and squeezed his way through one of the hallways, his giant fish tail trailing behind him. You followed, trying not to think about how long you might have to hold your breath or the water in between your legs.

Your eyes adjusted to the dark blue deep as you followed the Elder. You could see fish swim in and out of the rooms and plants crawling up the walls. If you weren't so scared of where you were going, you would've enjoyed the scenery. The deep breath you took could only last you so long. You tried to keep your gaze averted from the windows in the walls. The last thing you needed was to be reminded of how big the ocean is. Just imagining it gave you sweats.

You followed the Elder quickly through room after room, looking around each one and wondering if it was your destination. Your chest started to hurt and you wondered how long it would be until you stopped. The Elder moved fast and said little, but eventually slowed down once you entered a large room.

Chests lined the walls and you gazed in awe at how they filled the area. The Elder flipped one open and his tail rummaged through it, causing empty bottles to fly out of the chest. Eventually, his tail kicked a full bottle over to you.

"There. Drink that." He said.

You struggled to pull the cork out, but once it opened some of the liquid inside rushed out. You quickly pressed your mouth on the lip and drank whatever was left. It tasted horrible and felt slimy in your mouth, but you forced it down. Your throat felt tight for a split second before you felt fine again. You noticed no difference and you wondered if it failed to work.

"You should be able to breathe and talk now, if you're wondering." The Elder said impatiently.

You blinked in confusion. You weren't entirely sure if the potion worked, but you didn't want to get yelled at. You took a cautious breath through your mouth and were surprised when you only half choked on the water.

It felt weird to breathe in a liquid, but you managed to take a few good deep breaths. You wondered if you would have water remaining in your lungs when you recovered from the effects, but you tried not to think about that. You spoke to the Elder.

"This is...strange." you said, not used to hearing your voice underwater.

"I can imagine. You must continue to follow me, however. We're not yet where we need to be." The Elder said.

Without waiting for a response, the Elder turned and went down another hallway. You struggled to keep up with his pace.

"Elder, where exactly are we going?" You asked.

"My throne room." The Elder said simply.

"I thought...I already saw your throne room. Isn't it back in the dry pool?"

"No. I have many rooms like that. Where we are going is different."

You stayed confused, but continued to swim. As you entered into room after room, you started to get an idea of how big this place really was. It bothered you with how much water was in this place. It was like a whole ocean by itself! The thought of that made your throat tighten. You tried not to think about it. But it was so hard.

The Elder suddenly swam downwards. Looking for where he went, you could see a giant pool with a dark pit as the floor. The Elder swam effortlessly into the deep dark blue, but you could feel your skin crawling. You couldn't see the bottom. It had walls surrounding it, but the floor was nowhere to be seen. What was down there?

The thought of dipping into that bottomless pit terrified you to no end. You struggled to back away from the ghastly hole.

"Human! Are you keeping up?"

The Elder's voice was loud and shocking. It aggressively brought you out of your trance. You closed your eyes. Maybe if you couldn't see it...

" _ Human! You must swim down! _ "

His voice scraped the inside of your skull. You could feel the water around you and it didn't help that you  _ knew  _ the pit was there. You had to follow the Elder, but the deep blue scared you. In the smaller pools it was easier, but this…

A forceful current of water rippled around you, causing your eyes to shoot open. Something slimy and scaly wrapped around your waist and tugged you closer to the pit. You struggled, not wanting to be pulled down into that void.

"Will you  _ quit _ being difficult? We don't have time to dawdle!" The Elder scolded.

You gulped and felt stiff as the Elder pulled you along with him into the pit with his tail. You closed your eyes as you helplessly descended. The light from behind your eyelids slowly got dimmer and your skin felt cold with nonexistent sweat.

You felt lightheaded as the Elder made an abrupt turn. Your eyes opened up as you felt the Elder slow down. You had entered into a room much bigger than any you had seen in this place. It had a giant chair made of gold, like the one the King had. There was bright lights and a dark chest and a beacon. All in all, it looked very similar to the King's room except, of course, the fact that it was underwater. The Elder took his tail off of you and you let yourself float around.

"This is my throne room. Though I do not visit it often, this time it was mandatory. Look."

The Elder flicked his tail towards the beacon. It was hard to see it underwater, but the beacon was glowing green.

"Oh no." You whispered.

"'Oh no' is right. The idiot did something regrettable  _ again _ ." The Elder grumbled.

You watched the beacon glow as you floated around it. The Elder busied himself by rummaging through the dark chest. You reckoned it worked like the one at the King's castle, and you expected the Elder to take out some form of a note, hoping it wasn't made of paper.

"Ugh…this imbecile...leaving notes like I care. I should burn these…"

The Elder grumbled and groaned as he threw out different pieces of material from the chest, each one with something written on it. You grabbed a piece of wood close to you and read what was on it.

_ 'Iced over. Be wary. _

_ -W' _

It didn't make sense. You thought it might've been an old message. You casted it away and picked up another piece.

_ 'Trouble brewing. Expect visitors. _

_ Don't you dare leave. _

_ -D' _

You were confused by the contents once again. How often did the Elder Guardian check his chest? You threw the piece you held away and swam over to the Elder, who was still throwing out random junk.

"Is there anything recent in there, Elder?" You asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm  _ looking _ ." The Elder snapped.

You shrugged and watched him fling piece after piece of materials out of the chest. One almost hit you, but you caught it before it got to your face.

_ 'I'm coming. _

_ -E, 0.55.9' _

Your eyebrows raised at the message. What the hell was that number code? You poked the Elder, causing him to turn at you in anger at being interrupted.

" _ What?" _ He yelled.

"Calm down! What does this code mean?"

You shoved the piece in front of you like a shield, letting his gaze run over it. His eye widened and his pupil retracted as he finished reading.

"Oh for the love of…"

The Elder grumbled and swam away from you. You watched in confusion as he made his way to the beacon. He hit his tail on a part of the beacon and the green light turned off. You waited in silence for an explanation.

"Herobrine knows he isn't welcomed here." The Elder said.

"Why not?" You asked.

The Elder turned to you like he forgot you were there. His eye fixated on you and you felt chills run up your arms and neck.

"He isn't. Welcomed. Here."

The Elder turned away from you and you stared at his tail. It swung around and struck the wall, leaving a giant scratch mark on it. You watched as the Elder took his anger out on the wall in silence.

"Can you tell me what the code means." You asked, though it didn't sound like a question.

The Elder turned back to you and groaned loudly in frustration.

"It's a code for the date! He wrote that note  _ today _ . And very recently! I will  _ wring _ his  _ neck _ when he gets here!"

You flinched at the Elder's strong words. Did he know that Herobrine was coming for you? Probably not. You mentally slapped yourself for not telling him sooner.

"He's...here for me, Elder." You meekly said.

" _ You?  _ For  _ what?  _ Herobrine would  _ never _ invade  _ my  _ territory for some  _ human!" _ The Elder screamed.

His words stung, but what else would Herobrine come for? You rubbed your arm as the Elder continued to strike the wall. You let yourself float in place in silence as you waited for the inevitable.

And soon enough, there he was.

A familiar voice run through the waters of the building. You whipped your head around to where it might've come from. The Elder stopped hitting the wall and quickly swam out of the room towards the sound. You scrambled to follow. You were afraid of them fighting each other.

You felt against the walls of the pit and pulled yourself upwards in the water, trying to match the speed of the hasty Elder Guardian. By the time you made it to the top of the pit, you lost track of him. You swam out of the room, trying to remember which ways you went. You felt your heart pounding in your chest.

"Y/n!"

Herobrine called out to you. His voice was clear, even through the water. You chose doorways by following the sound. You hoped it would lead you to him. You struggled to pick up your pace. The water slowed you down in a way you started to find irritating.

"Herobrine!" you called.

Your voice was garbled underwater, but you hoped he could hear you. You wondered how long you had left of the potion effect. The fear pumping your veins sped you up considerably, but it made your limbs feel numb.

"Y/n!"

He sounded closer. Were you imagining it? You tried to speed up by pushing off of the walls. The rooms seemed endless. You wondered if you took a wrong turn. You forced yourself to move onwards. You heard the voice of the Elder boom.

" _ Herobrine! Where are you!" _

His voice was just as close as Herobrine’s. You were struck with fear that the Elder would find Herobrine before you. You tried to pull yourself faster, but your arms were becoming tired. You forced them to move, but you could feel the weakness in your hands.

"Herobrine!  _ Herobrine!"  _ You screamed.

You couldn't continue to pull and push yourself. Your arms gave out and you tried to paddle in the water, but your arms just wouldn't listen and your legs weren't enough force. You felt like crying. You hoped he would find you before the Elder. You floated helplessly in the room you were in.

_ "Herobrine! Herobrine!"  _ You called again.

_ "Y/n!" _

He was even closer. An underwater current pushed against your body. You turned towards the disturbance. A bright white light entered the room.

Herobrine.

"Y/n!"

His voice was relieved. His eyes flickered as he looked over you. You pushed yourself towards him as best as you could. He swam towards you and awkwardly put his arms around you. You leaned into him, forgetting the anger you had in the past day.

"Herobrine, you came for me." You said.

"Of course." He responded.

It still surprised you. He took his sweet time to find you, but he did it. You wondered if you were dreaming. His thin hands on your back reminded you that he was real. It also reminded you that you were naked, but at this point you didn't care. You just wanted to leave the water. You could feel your throat tighten and you wondered if the potion was wearing off or if you were going to cry. You wrapped your arms around Herobrine’s shoulders and buried your head in his chest.

"Take me home, please." You quietly said.

You could hear the rampaging Elder in the background, still trying to look for Herobrine. You tried to ignore it as you felt lightheaded and the weight of the water left your skin. Air blew on your exposed body and you shivered with cold. Grass tickled your ankles and you lifted your head from Herobrine’s chest. A blue sky graced your vision and you felt warm.

Herobrine’s arms left you as you pulled away from him. Now in safety, you remembered why you were brought into that journey in the first place. Herobrine’s eyes flickered as silence fell over you two.

"Y/n-"

"Okay. No. I'm not going to let you finish."

You cut Herobrine off before he could say anything. You didn't care what he was going to say. You didn't want to hear it until you asked your questions.

"First of all, why the hell would you teleport to the Nether? I know you know the King, but how is he going to help? Did you just need someone to rant to?"

Words flowed out of your mouth before you could control them. Herobrine listened in an awkward silence.

"Second, why in the  _ fuck  _ did you burn down a forest? A  _ forest!  _ What did you hope to gain? What could you have  _ possibly _ gotten from the destruction?"

You felt your face get hotter as you felt all the anger you pushed down seep out. The bubble in your chest that you thought was gone came back up. It burned your throat as you glared at Herobrine.

"Next, why were you just going  _ ballistic? _ You teleported everywhere looking for me,  _ completely _ missing where I was! I was in the Nether! I was with the King! If  _ anyone _ knows where people are in the Nether, it's the  _ King!  _ You couldn't have gone back? Just to check?"

You felt your hands curl into fists and tears blur your eyes. You didn't feel sad, but the onslaught of emotions overwhelmed you.

"Finally, what the hell did you do to make the Elder so  _ angry?  _ He chased after you and said that you weren't welcomed there! What did you  _ do?  _ I know you were looking for me, but seriously? You  _ scare _ me, Herobrine! What have you done? The Elder said that you destroy things often! I thought you were  _ above _ something like that! Why?  _ Why?" _

Tears gushed down your cheeks, choking your words. You coughed and sobbed as Herobrine stood in silence. You felt deflated and furious at the man in front of you.

You couldn't help but remember that he was the same man who burned your village. He was the same man who terrorized your dreams. He was the same man who killed people in cold blood. He was a  _ psychopath _ . Why did you  _ ever _ believe in him? When you looked at him, you thought you saw someone who wanted to change. But the recent days disproved that.

The sun was glaring and you thought it was inappropriate for it to be so sunny and you to be so miserable. All that filled the forest was birdsong and your sobs. You couldn't bear to look at Herobrine. You didn't want to see his innocent face. His stupid, deceptive, confused, innocent face. You kept your eyes closed as you cried.

And the forest was still and tranquil. Until a voice pierced the peace.

"I go to the Nether when I need advice. The King is wise and I am not. When you offered that I go along with you and Steve, I panicked. I needed time to think. I wasn't abandoning you or avoiding the conversation, I swear. I realize it was a dick move. I'm sorry."

You looked up at Herobrine. His gaze avoided you and his thumbs twiddled. Sobs still escaped your throat, but you listened.

"I...burned down the forest in anger. Again, I realize that was...terrible. I was...really scared that I lost you and I thought that...that burning the closest forest to me would...help me find you…"

His voice quieted at the end, but he continued. Though his explanation was flawed, you continued to hear him out.

"I didn't think that much time passed. I stressed myself out when I teleported everywhere  and I apologize for...for not going back. I probably should have, but I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry. I really am...I just-"

"Okay, stop…"

Your broken voice interrupted him. His eyes flickered and you felt his gaze on you again. His face was filled with emotions you never saw on him. Was he really sorry? Your emotions fought each other in your head. One side said that he was manipulating you into believing him, the other said that he was being truthful. You wanted to believe him, you really did. But with everything that he did…

"I am tired. I'm tired of your shit. You have done...horrible,  _ horrible _ things, okay? Burning my home, killing innocents, destroying a forest, I just…I've had enough of this. You  _ seem _ like someone who wants to change, but I have seen no such evidence! I'm sorry, I just...can't believe you're sorry until you prove it…" you said, voice cracking.

A few more tears slipped from your eyes as you stared into Herobrine’s eyes. You both stood in silence until Herobrine spoke again.

"How...can I prove it, then?"

You blinked. His eyes flickered and you felt like screaming. Was it not obvious? Was it not the most blatantly correct answer?

"Stop. Stop hurting people. Stop destroying. Just  _ stop." _

"I want to."

"Obviously  _ not!  _ All I have seen from you is destruction and puppy dog eyes asking for pity and forgiveness and I am  _ sick  _ of it! I don't need to forgive you for your criminal acts, I need you to stop doing them!  _ Please!" _

You waved your hands wildly in the air. You glared at Herobrine and his innocent eyes and awkward limbs and hated it. You wanted him to change. You didn't want him to  _ want _ to change, you wanted him to  _ actually  _ change. For the better.

You crossed your arms and remembered that you were naked and cold. You worried that the sun would drop soon and you didn't want to be unprotected in the night. But you also didn't want to be near Herobrine. He was still your key back to Steve and with your forgotten journey, but you hated spending time with him when it provided nothing of value.

"Okay," Herobrine sighed, "I understand…"

His voice was soft and quiet. You looked to him and saw him running his fingers through his hair, gripping the strands. He looked stressed and you could guess why. It must be hard for someone to want to change the way they've always been. Though you hoped he would follow through. You could hope.

You watched as Herobrine removed his hands from his head. He gave you a brief look before gripping his shirt and pulling it off, revealing his stomach. You felt like shielding your eyes when you saw his body. He was incredibly skinny to the point of seeing his ribs slightly poke out. He had little to no muscle, giving him a strange appearance without clothes. It was like he was malnourished, but at the same time he didn't look  _ bad,  _ just  _ weird. _

He pulled the shirt completely off and walked over to you, flipping it around and putting it onto you. You didn't have time to react before the warm cloth was draped over you. You pulled away from his touch, but you made no move to take the clothes off. It was nice to be clothed after a day of bareness.

The shirt hung over you like a gown. It covered you down to your mid-thigh and you were reminded of how tall Herobrine really was. You hugged the material close, but you felt too flustered to say anything or look at Herobrine. Herobrine cleared his throat and your attention was brought to his dimmed eyes.

"I will...try to be better. I  _ will.  _ I'll do my best to...control myself. For you." He said.

You blinked and shook your head.

"Can't you be better for yourself?" You whispered.

He looked at you and you swore you saw the faintest of blushes across his cheeks. He turned away and shook his head.

"I  _ want  _ to be better for  _ you _ . Just let me  _ try _ . I promise I'll try." He said quietly.

"...fine…" you sighed.

You knew it would take a while, but you felt like it would be worth it to see him recover. You knew it would be a bad idea for him to want to be good for you. After all, you weren't always going to be with him. But It was a starting point at least.

You could only hope he would stick to his promise. You doubted you were worth being good for, but if it helped him then it was fine.

'One day,' you thought, 'He won't need anyone to be better.'


	19. Just Two Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like a good mental breakdown to bring friends together!

 Time ticked on ruthlessly. The sound of tree leaves rustling and the feeling of grass tickling your feet did little to calm you from your recent ordeal. You wore the shirt and held the hand of a psychopath who was leading you to Gods-know-where. The journey was quiet and peaceful, but a bubble in your chest refused to lighten.

Wind blew over your exposed skin. You could see the sun setting in the distant horizon. Hills and mountains curved along the perimeters. You let yourself space out and allow Herobrine to direct your path. The wading yellow shine in the sky turning to red was just too beautiful to ignore.

Herobrine led you up a steep hill. You struggled to pull yourself over the ledges, but you managed to keep up with Herobrine. As you reached the top with him, you saw what he was leading you towards.

A small hole in the wall that was lit with redstone torches met your gaze. Herobrine took your hand again and pulled you towards it. As the sky dimmed, so did the hole. Eventually, all you could see was the faint outlines of your arm and Herobrine lit by the red light. Both of you stayed quiet.

And then you saw light at the end of the tunnel. The redstone torches' light faded into regular torches' light. You had to squint your eyes to adjust to the sudden light difference. And then the small hole faded into a bigger room. A huge area filled with furniture and chests and random pieces of junk hanging from the walls. You swore that you stepped into a hoarder's house.

"This is...well, not really a home, just kind of a safe place…" Herobrine said.

You looked around at the various objects and items scattered everywhere. The place was absolutely overrun by junk and materials and the only time you saw the floor was when it led into a doorway to another room.

"You're a hoarder." You said bluntly.

"Ah, well...it's just hard to throw things away…" Herobrine responded awkwardly.

Your head swung around, scanning each object. There were several different types of chairs and a couple of what looked like moth-eaten couches. Only some of them were actually touching the floor.

"A...living room?" You asked quietly.

"Yes! Well, kind of." Herobrine said.

"So what are the other rooms?"

"You can look around if you want. Just don't touch what looks near to falling."

You nodded and entered the room to your left. It had armor stands and racks and items frames all cluttered together near and on the walls. Swords of all varieties were strewn about, most of them broken and useless. Crafting benches and beaten furnaces littered a single corner. On top of a somewhat flat pile of items sat a flower vase with a single poppy in it. The room was hardly lit due to the giant mountain of sticks that piled to the ceiling.

"Wow…" you sighed.

"I take it you're unimpressed." Herobrine said from the other room.

You saw his head poke into the room from the doorway. You gave him a small smile.

"I hope you don't sleep in a mountain of wood." You said, trying to lighten the mood.

He shook his head and shrugged.

"I don't sleep at all." He said.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. He didn't sleep? Not even naps? Did he not need it?

"Oh. Why not?" You asked.

"Oh, uh...I don't like it." He said simply.

His head retreated back into the other room. You stepped out it it yourself and went into the room that faced front.

This one was more brightly lit and seemed to be the least cluttered. It had a pile of wood and wool that only reached halfway up the wall. There was an overflowing chest that was packed with identical shirts. Some other shirts were piled next to the chest covered in mud or charred in some places. You picked up a faded shirt that had large gashes in the front. There was a dark substance on it that peeled off slightly.

"Hey, Herobrine?" You called.

"Yes?"

"Is this blood?"

Footsteps approached and you turned saw Herobrine walk in the room. You handed the faded shirt to him to inspect. He sighed and bunched it up in his hands.

"Yeah. Blood. It's old." He said.

You gave him a look of confusion as he threw the shirt against the wall. It hit the stone and kicked up dust you didn't even notice was there. You looked back at Herobrine and saw a strange expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" You asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He said.

"What was the blood from?"

"Oh. Uh...me. It's my blood on that shirt."

Your eyebrows raised again and then furrowed. You stared at Herobrine as he tried to avoid your gaze.

"Okay...and what happened?" You pressed.

"Nothing! I just got hurt! It's an old shirt." He said, crossing his arms.

Concern briefly stabbed your mind. It was replaced with curiosity, but you kept it to yourself. You knew he was avoiding the true answer, but you didn't want to fight or force him to speak. You stayed quiet as both you and Herobrine stood together in the room.

Herobrine eventually walked over to the chest and picked out a clean looking shirt. He pulled it over himself and then left the room. You had almost forgotten that he gave you his shirt before.

You were left alone in the room. It was too quiet for you so you left and walked into the last doorway. It was the smallest room. It had a couple of broken things. There was a broken bed that had thin sheets and a burnt jukebox that laid abandoned. A mountain of spare materials and chests filled the rest of the space. Flower vases filled with different flowers dotted the room with color. You walked up to a orchid and pet the blooms. One fell off, so you stopped touching it.

You walked over to the bed and pressed your hand against the mattress. It squeaked and the bed frame creaked dangerously. It bent slightly and your hands retreated from it. You wondered how long it was since someone used it. Dust flicked in the air and you coughed.

"How old is this thing?" You asked, coughing.

"What is?" Herobrine said.

"The bed!"

"Oh...I...I have no idea."

You sighed and touched the bed again. You turned and leaned on it with your butt slightly. It creaked and you could hear the wood cracking under your pressure. You sat down on the bed only halfway before the wood snapped and the mattress fell off, leaving a broken bed frame.

"Uh...I broke it." You said, slightly embarrassed.

"It's fine." Herobrine called.

You stood there for what felt like hours. You felt like going back to the main room, but you felt rooted in place. You didn't know why. You hugged the oversized shirt you wore and tugged the collar over your nose, breathing in the scent. It smelled like charcoal and sweat and you pulled the collar off.

"Gross." You muttered to yourself, but you made no move to take the shirt off.

You slowly walked away from the bed, going into the main room again. Herobrine was sitting on one of the couches with a book. He looked at you as you walked in. You carefully stepped over various objects and joined him on the couch.

"I mean...it's real crowded, man." You muttered.

"I know. I like it like that, though." He said.

He sounded embarrassed as he said it. As you looked around the room again, you could kind of understand why. Maybe the full room made him feel less lonely? It was a guess, but it made sense. How long did this man spend alone? The state of his broken objects was all the answer you needed.

You found yourself staring at Herobrine as he turned a page of his book. You couldn't see any title or pictures on the front cover.

"What's...your book about?" You asked.

"Uh...it's about...history, I guess." He softly replied.

"What about history?"

"Famous people...travellers and stuff…"

You leaned over to read one of the pages. You always liked a good famous story.

The chapter he was on told of someone named Joslin who stole an artifact from the Gods. A couple of page turns revealed that she did it to revive her dead child. A couple of months ago, you would have questioned the legitimacy of the story. But with a literal God sitting next to you, it was hard to be skeptical. Just  _ thinking _ of Herobrine as a God felt...wrong, but it was true. Joslin could very well be a real woman. You turned your gaze from the book. Your head hurt.

"Is...anything wrong?" Herobrine asked.

"I'm...still confused." You said.

"About…?"

"You."

His eyebrows raised and you sighed.

"You're...avoiding telling me things. I know that...I got some sort of an explanation out of you before, but…i'm still confused…"

"Well...what do you want to know?"

"The truth. The whole, big, ugly truth. Nothing left out and nothing sugar-coated."

"I see…"

You both stayed in silence for a while and you worried that he wouldn't agree to those terms. You hugged your knees close and pulled your shirt over them.

"Well, what should I start with? The Nether?" He asked.

"No. Everything. From the beginning." You stated. 

"What do you define as...the beginning?"

"I don't know...I just want your whole story. Your...I don't know…past, maybe?"

"Well that's a bit harder to talk about than the Nether."

"I know, but...I want to know you and understand you better. You're just...confusing, I guess."

"Confusing how?"

"Well, first you decide to follow me for no reason. Me, a normal everyday person with no special thing or quirk. Why? And I mean,  _ why? _ "

"Haven't I said this before? You fascinate me."

You shuddered as he repeated his own words. You could still remember him saying them for the first time. But it still made no sense.

"Yeah, but… _ why  _ do I fascinate you? I still don't get it. And I  _ know  _ we had this conversation before but I'm still  _ confused!  _ Yes, I saved a village! Wouldn't you? Wouldn't Steve? Wouldn't  _ anyone _ ? It's a basic instinct to want to help folks!"

You huffed and crossed your arms. The topic still fired you up. The fact that Herobrine decided to speak in specific single words didn't help either. You needed full explanations, not short ones.

"Well, to answer your question. No. Never have I seen a single soul attempt to do what you did and survive. Yes, they have  _ tried,  _ but none  _ survived. _ "

Herobrine looked away as he said this. You wondered if it was sad to recall or just embarrassing. You wondered how many he hurt. You wondered if he regretted it.

"Seriously?" You said.

"Believe me, yes. Even in smaller fires. You fascinate me because...you...survived me?" He said, but he sounded unsure.

The room became awkward and silent. You felt Herobrine shuffle in his seat and turn a page. You could faintly hear chairs groaning under the weight of piles of objects. You sighed.

"So you followed me because I survived a fire. Didn't it get boring to follow me after the first year or something?" You asked.

"Not...particularly. I mean, it got boring, but...I never really considered leaving your side. I don't know why. I guess it gave me something to do…" Herobrine said.

You nodded curtly and considered his explanation. It didn't make you feel any better, but at least it made sense.

"Well...what about when I almost died? Would you have left if I did?" You asked.

"Obviously, yes. If you died I would have no one to follow. It's a good thing you didn't. "

He said this with a small smirk. You couldn't help but smile slightly, too. You didn't know what you were expecting, honestly. But did he really care if you lived or died? 

"What about Steve? You two have a  _ past. _ " You said.

"Oh, him. Yeah, we...well, we  _ were _ ...friends…" he said quietly.

"What happened between you two?"

"It's...complicated. What  _ essentially  _ happened was he was being a dick so I left him to fend for himself. Went to the Nether. Haven't seen him since you came along."

"How long would that even be?"

"Uh...a decade ago? Maybe more. I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Oh. Did you use to travel with him?"

"What?  _ No. _ I met him in Sky City. He didn't seem the travelling type...guess I was wrong…"

He turned another page. You watched his face focus on the words in the book.

"What was he like back then?" You asked.

"Who, Steve? He was…"

Herobrine paused. He mulled over his words and sighed. You watched his expressions flicker and change multiple times.

"He was...an idiot. Still is, but...I guess he didn't change much anyways. I'm surprised he even offered me a chance to travel with you both. I thought he would...hate me? I don't know…"

He trailed off and you watched him put his attention back on the book. The room was silent except for the creaking of chairs. You pulled the collar of your shirt over your nose. You cringed at the smell, but you didn't move it.

"Do you...want to be his friend? I mean, it seems like you just really hate him." You said, your voice muffled by the shirt.

"I'm not sure. Maybe? I don't know if...if history would repeat, I guess." He said quietly.

You nodded. You figured that Herobrine really did want to make amends. You couldn't imagine what you would do if you had a similar past and then suddenly a chance at redemption. You wondered if Herobrine would be true to his word about wanting to change. Maybe Steve was the best way to start Herobrine’s change. Maybe he was a way of healing the past and their relationship. You hoped so.

"What about...people? You seem to dislike people or...they dislike you. And with the…" you started.

It was a bit hard to finish with 'village fires'. It was a weird topic for you. Herobrine talked about burning villages like it was nothing. You wondered if it was nothing to him. You could still remember the sound of people screaming when you woke up that day. You could still faintly smell smoke. You regretted picking this topic. You closed your eyes and waited for a response, trying to block out your thoughts.

"Oh...uh...right, people…" Herobrine mumbled.

You rocked slightly as Herobrine fumbled with his words. You couldn't help but stare at his hands. The same hands that could bear fire. The same hands that burned your village. A sudden weight came down on your chest and you found it hard to breathe.

"Well, I can say that I've never come across a village I've never burned. Except for Sky City, if that counts."

His words were like a painful dagger. You knew he was only stating facts. You knew it was just a statistic. But the  _ way  _ he said it. The scent of your, no  _ his,  _ shirt washed over you and made your nose feel like it was burning. Your skin tingled and you swore you could hear voices shouting.

Your eyes shot open.

"What is that?" You almost shouted.

"What? What is  _ what?"  _ Herobrine said, panicked.

"Shouting! There's shouting!"

" _ What?  _ No, it's quiet. Are you alright?"

His voice seemed far away. Your eyes trailed over to him, your vision bordered with darkness. You didn't know what it meant. You could see the shapes of people around you. Your legs popped out of the shirt and you stood up abruptly. The couch and Herobrine faded away when you looked back. You were blind. You stumbled. You could feel a floor meet your body. The shouting became louder.

_ Fire swirled around you. Bright hot flames warmed your already sweating form. You could feel your muscles tensing. People ran past you. Shouting and screaming filled your ears. You struggled blindly. _

_ Hot. It was hot. Your eyes opened. Houses. People running. Fire. You ran. Sweat poured down your back and chest. You moved automatically towards the burning buildings. You harshly bumped into people. The impact sent shocks up your body. You kept moving. You didn't know where. _

_ "Help me!  _ **_Please help me!_ ** _ " _

_ Your arms went under a slab of roof. Your body strained and pulled. People skittered from underneath. You dropped the slab. Your body screamed. The fire raged on. You felt your legs move on their own. You tripped and fell. The coarse dirt was like falling into knives. You stood up. _

Your hands tangled in your hair. Your mind fought with reality. You pulled and shouted. You could feel the fire. You could  _ feel the fire. _

_ "Help us, God help us!" _

_ Another roof. Your arms lifted it. A family of four. A mother and children. You kept moving. You felt numb. Your arms needed a break. Your lungs heaved with smoke. _

"Y/n?"

A voice spoke out. You could barely hear it. You kept blinking but the vision wouldn't go away. Your knees were rooted to the ground. Was it made of stone or dirt? You couldn't tell.  _ You couldn't tell. _

_ The library. Small and filled with fire. Pitch black smoke erupted from the broken roof. You coughed and heaved. You could see one last person. You glided through the air. Your arms reached out. You dug him out. The librarian. He ran as soon as you freed him. You watched him run. _

_ He didn't limp. _

_ He didn't limp. _

_ You felt a roar bubble up. You screamed. Your chest vibrated and your throat felt raw. Was this real? You felt something touch you. You moved without thinking. You struck whatever dared to touch you. The contact made your skin sting. You felt water run down your cheeks. _

"Y/n!  _ Y/n, are you alright?" _

"Leave me  _ alone!" _

It was gone. The fire left your skin like a dream fading away. Your eyes readjusted to the room and you could see aqua. White light met your vision.

"H...Herobrine?"

Your voice felt weak. You didn't know why. Thin hands shook your arms gently. They felt cold on your sweaty skin. You recoiled away from the touch and curled your own hands around yourself.

"Y/n…"

"Please...don't talk...just be quiet…"

You saw Herobrine nod and remain quiet. You realized you were on the ground. Your knees felt like gelatin and the hard stone floor hurt. Herobrine sat next to you at an awkwardly far distance. His hands lay uselessly in his lap as he looked at you with concern on his face. You found yourself unable to look away from his eyes.

"I'm sorry…" your weak voice uttered.

"What for?" Herobrine said softly.

"For falling apart on you...I...I wasn't expecting it…"

"Well, neither was I but that's not your fault."

"I'm sorry...I'm...really sorry…"

"It's okay, y/n...you're okay…"

He inched closer and held out one of his hands. You slowly reached out and gingerly touched it. You could feel his slight pulse in his palm. His skin was pleasantly cold and yours was so warm…

You scooted over to him and carefully put your arms around his neck. His whole body was like a fridge. He tensed up at your touch, but slowly melted into you. He placed his hands on your back and patted softly. You felt like crying. You buried your face in the crook of his neck and sobbed. He gently pressed his hands against your back and you collapsed into his chest, crying. You felt so weak.

The room was overtaken by the sounds of your sadness. Herobrine patted and rubbed your back as you cried, occasionally mumbling reassurances in your ear as he held you. You felt the tears slip from you and soak his shoulder, but he didn't seem to care. Eventually, however, Herobrine became quiet and started to sob himself. You wiped at your eyes and sat up to look at him. Tears blurred your vision, but you could see that Herobrine was crying, too. Big round tears escaped his eyes which flickered and dimmed as you watched him.

"I'm sorry…" he said, "I'm really sorry, too."

You reached out and held his cheek. His beard rubbed scratched against your palm as he leaned in to your touch. You sobbed alongside him.

"I never...I never intended to...to hurt a friend…" Herobrine stammered.

You blinked and more tears spilled and chilled your heated skin. You rubbed your thumb against his cheek and felt his hot tears flow onto your skin.

The man you had called a psychopath before was unraveling before your eyes.

"A...friend...?" You asked, voice choked.

"I mean...yeah...I didn't know you would be and I...I never would have done it if...if I knew that someone like  _ you _ lived there…" Herobrine said.

You considered his words. He thought of you as a friend. Not a stranger, not a victim, not a nuisance. A friend. You didn't know why it meant so much to you.

"I know what I did was  _ wrong... _ it was... _ fucked up. _ ..and I'm  _ so  _ sorry...I thought that...I thought I was going to die…"

His hand had left your back and touched yours on his cheek. You could feel his cool skin sandwiching your hand as you wiped away his fresh tears gently. More tears spilled from your eyes, too.

"Why…?" Was all you could say.

"They were gonna... _ kill  _ me...I was scared...I know it was wrong...it still is wrong...I'm sorry...if I had known...if I had  _ known _ …" his voice cracked.

You removed your hand and hugged him again. His hands instantly were at your back again, gripping your shirt. You cried as he cried. You still didn't understand him, you didn't think you ever would.

But you were both in pain.

"And it's not  _ your  _ fault...it's  _ mine _ ...and I'm  _ so sorry _ …please,  _ please _ forgive me…" his broken voice pleaded.

"We're friends...but I can't forgive you...I'm sorry...it hurts...it hurts too much…" you said quietly.

The fire. The smoke. The TNT. The screams. He did too much. It was all  _ too much. _ It was unforgivable. You couldn't forgive him and you could  _ never  _ forget.

"Just promise you'll be...be better...let no one else hurt...that's all you can do for me...just...just be  _ better. _ " You whispered.

You felt his head nod and you snuggled yourself back into his neck. His hands held you firmly and you trusted him. Yes...you trusted him. You were giving him something precious and you hoped he was being honest.

"Please...I'm trusting you, Herobrine... _ please. _ " you said.

There was a few sobs before you got an answer.

"I promise...I  _ promise _ …"

The room became quiet except for the sounds of both of you letting go of your sadnesses. Tears spilled and the hugging was ceaseless until both of you fell asleep.


	20. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip, road trip, we're goin' on a road trip :)

* * *

 

"I wanna go out."

You stopped chewing to look at him. You sat across from him at a small unstable table. He leaned heavily on one corner to keep it steady. His other hand poked at the fruit in front of him. You swallowed your food and blinked.

"Like, to someplace or just in general?" You asked.

He shrugged and one of the fruits he poked rolled off of the table. You dipped down in your seat to catch it.

You both had found yourselves on the floor a bit ago. Herobrine seemed flustered that he slept with you, but you didn't mind since you were sweaty and he wasn't. It was dark outside and you had no idea how long you slept. Herobrine decided that you should eat and went outside to forage for food, coming back with a plethora of fruits. You didn't know how he got so much, but you didn't question it.

You sat the fruit in front of him again. He whispered thanks and it got quiet. You sighed and began to eat your food again.

"We could...I don't know...go travelling together? We could avoid as many villages as you like." You said between bites.

Herobrine smiled. You could see that he tried to hide it with his hand. You smiled back at him as he looked at you. He sighed and took a bite out of an apple.

"I like that idea…" he said.

You smiled wider. Both of you could use some fresh air. Plus, it would get you away from the hoarder house.

You turned back to your fruit and the rest of the time eating passed with a pleasant silence. You and Herobrine both threw away all the stems and inedible seeds. You sat on the sofa while Herobrine rummaged through a cramped bookcase. He picked out three pieces of rolled up paper and joined you. He laid out the papers between the both of you. Intricate designs and markings were written on the sheets. They were uncolored and the writing overlapped itself. You turned your head to see it at a different angle, but it jumbled in your mind.

"Maps. I have dozens of maps of places. Towns and landmarks and biomes...all marked." Herobrine explained.

You squinted at the sheets, but they refused to make sense in your head. They just looked like blobs on top of bigger blobs. You wished that there was color to separate the blobs.

"Okay...so...this is...the entire continent were on? Or a different one?" You asked.

"This continent. The three papers connect to fit it all." Herobrine said.

He shuffled the papers around until they lined up. Looking at them together, it started to make a little more sense.

"You travel a lot more than I thought." You said.

"Well, yes...I have to be moving constantly. I'm a wanted man, remember?" Herobrine said, smiling.

You smiled back and put your attention on where his hand went. He pointed to a large biome which was labeled 'Arag ov' on the map. He traced an invisible line from that spot to another biome labeled 'Borum ipsip'.

"What do you think about this route? It spans across three biomes and avoids any kind of village. Then, after, we can just turn in the opposite direction and come back here."

You nodded as he spoke. It was a sound plan. You couldn't help but notice how confidently he spoke. He smiled through his whole explanation and it made you smile knowing that he was enjoying talking about his plan.

'He must find joy in making plans,' you thought, 'After all, it must be hard to  _ pull off burning a village and getting away with it without one. _ '

You blinked and your mind unfocused from Herobrine’s words. Your face scrunched as if you'd smelled something awful. You turned your gaze away from the maps.

'What's wrong with me? He's good now. He promised me. Why am I thinking this?'

Your ears were struggling with trying to tune back into Herobrine. Your thoughts provoked you and made it hard to listen to his plan.

'Just  _ focus!  _ I can't be thinking these things!'

You pulled at a strand of hair and stared back at Herobrine only to realize that he had stopped talking. His eyes were focused on you and you felt your heart skip nervously.

"Is there anything wrong with the plan?" He asked.

"No, no! I actually really like it!" You said, shaking your head.

"Oh, well, alright. Let's get some stuff packed then."

Herobrine rolled up his maps and placed them in a bag he had lying around. You busied yourself with packing the rest of the fruit you didn't eat earlier. You didn't know how long the journey would take, but you expected it to be longer than a day.

As you closed your food bag, something touched your back. You looked over and saw a pair of pants draped on your shoulder.

"I think these would help. You can also pick out a clean shirt from the other room if you want." Herobrine said.

You nodded and took the pants from him. He left the room and you slipped the pants on. Surprisingly, they fit snuggly, but they were much too long. You rolled up the cuffs and walked into the other room in search for a shirt that didn't stink of Herobrine.

As you pulled a new shirt over you, you heard Herobrine enter the room.

"I'm all set if you are. I have some spare boots as well." He said, holding out a pair of leather boots.

You smiled and took the shoes from him. They fit loosely, but they were comfortable. You followed Herobrine out to the front room with your bag.

"Wait, will we need weapons?" You asked.

"What? No. Mobs won't come near, trust me. I give off 'bad energy', or something." he said, putting his hands up in air quotes.

You smiled and the both of you went outside. The air was fresh and smelled of spring. The light hurt your eyes slightly, but you were happy to be outside again. You could hear the ocean in the distance and felt crawls up your back, but the sound of birdsong distracted you. You focused on the tall man next to you instead.

"So, which way was it?" You asked.

"North." He said, turning left.

Herobrine took the lead and you followed. You both worked your way up a hill and found a beautiful view on the top. You took a deep breath and stared at the pretty plains before you. Herobrine worked on walking along the hill path, but you purposefully dawdled to look at the scenery.

You caught up with Herobrine, his nose in the map, and tried to keep up with him as you approached a forest. Herobrine looked up from his map and looked at you.

"Well, this is the first biome." He said.

"First of three? So there's a forest. What else?" You asked.

"A river and a desert."

He made his way inside the forest and you followed. The trees were tall and had beautiful dark bark. You could hear birdsong and saw sunlight filter through the leaves. You couldn't help but smile. After the harrowing experience you went through, this forest was luxurious. You looked ahead of you and saw Herobrine, his face still stuck in the map.

You jogged up to him and smacked him on the back as you passed.

"Come on! Get your nose out of that paper! We're  _ outside _ , dammit, enjoy it!" You said, smiling.

Herobrine looked up from his map, startled. You snapped your fingers in front of his face and he pushed your hand away playfully. He smiled and sighed.

"Fine. But I am only doing this for you, you know." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean, map boy? You don't go outside for fun?" You asked, laughing.

"Alright, you got me there. But I'm leading the way!"

You smiled wider and let him walk beside you. You saw the flicker of a smile on his face and were glad that you weren't the only person enjoying themselves.

You let your gaze glide from tree to tree. It was very warm out, but the leaves provided excellent shade. You couldn't help but take a deep breath every other step you took. It was nice to enjoy the outdoors without worrying about survival.

"Are you having a good time?" You asked, your eyes switching to Herobrine.

You realized that he had been staring at you the whole time you enjoyed the scenery. You chuckled as he looked away in embarrassment.

"Yes, yes, I am. It's very nice you- out! It's nice out." He said, stuttering horribly.

You patted him on the shoulder, laughing. Herobrine slowly joined in and you both laughed awkwardly, your voices filling the forest. You felt tears prick your eyes and Herobrine’s face flushed pink.

The laughter died down and you felt happy. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest and you sighed with content. The smile refused to leave your face and you looked over to Herobrine. He was trying to hide his smile and his cheeks were still slightly pink. His eyes were dim and you could see the freckles dotting his nose.

You thought he looked cute.

'What?  _ What? _ '

You shook your head. You felt your face heat up at the thought.

'As a friend. As a  _ friend _ .'

Your mind kept derailing and you felt the smile on your face disappear. A friend. Yeah, Herobrine was a friend. A friend. A good guy. A nice dude. A chill person.

_ 'Who kills people _ .'

How many times have you seen his face? You never thought it looked cute before. What changed? You kept digging in your mind. Herobrine was a murderer. A psychopath. He hurts for fun, right?

_ Why would he be cute? _

You lifted your hand to your head. You pulled at your hair and irritated the follicles. Your eyebrows knitted and you felt lost in your thoughts. The forest just seemed to disappear and you didn't notice the hill in front of you until you fell.

First, you felt the ground leave you suddenly. Then your heart jumped and you could finally focus on your surroundings again. The ground below came faster to you than you could think. Your hands shot up to protect your face.

The impact never came.

Your eyes were still adjusting even after you felt someone touch you. The ground never hit your face, but you felt ground under your legs. Your knees fell onto grass softly and your heart felt like it was going to burst. You clutched your shirt as Herobrine gently patted your shoulder.

"Y/n! You okay?"

His voice was right next to you, but the heartbeat was loud in your ears.

Hands pressed against your back comfortingly. You blinked several times before you got over the shock. You took a deep breath in and felt it pour out of you.

"Holy shit what happened." You said.

Herobrine sighed next to you and you saw him sit down near you, his hand still placed on your back.

"You really have a knack for falling off cliffs, don't you?" Herobrine asked.

You shakily smiled at his joke, but your head felt dizzy.

"It's alright, now, see? You're safe." He said.

"You saved me." You said.

"You probably wouldn't have died, but yes."

"Thank you."

Herobrine smiled at your thanks. He rubbed your back and you placed your fingers on your temples, trying to focus on the ground.

"Sorry. You're probably feeling the teleportation. I used it real quickly so it's...probably hitting you hard, huh?" Herobrine said awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah. No shit." You said.

Herobrine chuckled. You focused on his face. As he smiled, you saw dimples on his cheeks. You looked away.

'Notch help me, why is he  _ cute?' _

You tried to usher the thoughts away, but you couldn't help it. You never really saw Herobrine be so genuinely happy. It made your face and chest swell with warmth.

'Why am I feeling like this? He may be physically attractive, but  _ he's still a murderer. _ '

Your thoughts invaded again and made you feel worse. You hid your face in your hands and tried to make sense of your internal conflict. What even caused you to think that Herobrine was attractive in the first place? He blushed, so what?

'But I had never seen him be so vulnerable before. He looked cute.'

But did that matter? He hurt you. He hurt countless people. Did he regret any of it?

'Yes. He cried in my arms. He shook and sobbed. He has so much sorrow. Of course he regrets.''

Your mind blanked and you shook your head. You looked to Herobrine. He smiled at you. His hand was still on your back. You shifted over to him. You placed your arms around his shoulders. He stiffened for a moment, but wrapped his other arm around you.

"What's the hug for?" Herobrine said, chuckling.

"I felt like it." You said, smiling into his chest.

It was quiet. The birdsong continued and the wind blew in your ears. The sky was still in high noon and you felt warm again. You hugged Herobrine for a long time until you felt like letting him go.

You both stood up and gathered your things again. You moved onwards, this time climbing down the hill instead of falling. The trees continued onwards into the horizon. You smiled, knowing that this would be a long trip. It felt good to know that you would spend more time outside with good company.

The sun slowly tipped in the sky. High noon turned to dusk before you knew it. You and Herobrine continued until your legs grew tired. You both agreed to stop for the night in a clearing.

Herobrine set up a small tent while you searched for fallen twigs. You set up a decently sized fireplace as Herobrine finished the tent. You rolled out a makeshift sleeping bag as Herobrine bent over the fireplace.

You watched him light a fire in his palm. It still surprised you that he had magic. He touched the pile of branches and it instantly caught fire. The clearing became illuminated in a second as Herobrine backed away from the flame. You watched him carefully. His hands no longer had fire on them. You sighed.

"Is everything okay?" Herobrine asked.

His voice startled you out of your thinking. You smiled awkwardly and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm just not used to...seeing magic, I guess."

"Oh. Magic. You don't...have a problem with me using it, or…"

"It's fine, really. It just...kind of bothers me?"

"I can use it less, I don't mind.

" _ Could you?" _

The sentence came out of your mouth before you could think. You slapped your hand over your mouth and stared awkwardly at Herobrine. There was a moment of silence before Herobrine laughed and patted your shoulder.

"Y/n. It's okay. I'll use it less." Herobrine said quietly.

You nodded and removed the hand from your mouth. You felt bad for replying so quickly in that manner.

"Thank you…" you said softly.

A calm breeze blew over the both of you. You patted Herobrine’s hand and turned away from him. You crawled into the tent and curled up. You saw Herobrine poke his head in, his eyes illuminating the cloth walls.

"Are you turning in for the night?" Herobrine asked.

You nodded and pulled your sleeping bag cover over you. You heard Herobrine sigh and the entrance flaps of the tent close.

"Goodnight y/n." You heard him say from outside.

You mumbled a 'goodnight' into your sheet and closed your eyes.

'What is wrong with me?' You thought, 'Do I really find this man cute?'

You grimaced and rolled over. You worried that it was still all a trick. What if he was lying? What if he wasn't genuine? What if he was just as awful as you imagined?

You didn't know what you would do if any of it proved true. You had faith in Herobrine, even if he had done some shitty things. You wanted him to prove that he could be a good person. You spent time with him and felt a connection with him. You considered him a friend. You thought that he was redeemable.

So why did you doubt him so often?

You wrapped yourself tight in the sleeping bag and tried to fall asleep. You tried to count sheep or hum songs to yourself, but it didn't help. You could hear the crackle of the fire outside. It was calming, but you could also hear the faint breathing of another person.

You tried to mimic that deep breathing. You took a breath as he did and you let it out at the same time, too. Your heartbeat slowed and you felt a bit calmer. You sat up and pulled the cover off of you. You crawled over to the tent entrance and pulled it open slowly.

You saw Herobrine with his back to you. He sat lazily around the fire and you could see his sides expand with his breathing. You quietly snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He tensed and whipped around quickly.

"Y/n? You're still awake?" He asked upon seeing you.

"Yeah…" you answered.

You stared at him until you felt sweat bead on your forehead from the fire. You wiped it away and saw Herobrine’s eyes flicker.

"Are you...okay?" Herobrine asked nervously.

"Not really…" you said.

"Do you need anything?"

"I don't know...help?"

"Help with...what?"

"Help sleeping."

"Oh...I don't know if I can help with that…"

He looked away awkwardly and rubbed his arm. You sighed and seated yourself next to him by the fire. You felt kind of awkward about it but you forced the feeling back.

You were going to prove to yourself that Herobrine was harmless.

You leaned over and placed your head on his shoulder. You could feel his chilled skin through his shirt sleeve. You felt him tense. You wondered if you were being too pushy.

'No. We're not crying this time. He's completely clear headed. I just need to see…if I make the first move…will he push me away?'

You squeezed your eyes shut and stayed in position. Herobrine eventually relaxed and you breathed a mental sigh of relief. You opened your eyes and looked at his. His glowing white eyes stared at you softly. There was emotion overflowing from his eyes. He looked sad, but also happy? It was like the entire spectrum of emotions was plastered on his face. You felt your chest swell with warmth, or was it the fire?

Your head was so close to his chest that you could feel his heartbeat. You closed your eyes and felt hot on one side and cold on the other. Strangely enough, it was relaxing. You felt tired. You smiled. You never knew that Herobrine would be the perfect pillow. It was even more relaxing than Steve's hugs.

Steve.

Your eyes sleepily opened. Your heartbeat picked up and you shifted in your spot. Herobrine looked at you curiously. You were so tired that it was hard to form a coherent sentence in your head. You sighed tiredly and nudged Herobrine’s hand with yours.

"You know...where Steve…?" You mumbled.

Herobrine’s eyes flickered and he looked away. You felt your eyelids droop.

"Yeah...I think so…" Herobrine said.

You smiled and rubbed your cheek on Herobrine’s arm. He looked at you and smiled back. He patted your head and you closed your eyes.

"We can see him later, okay?"

You nodded and felt your mind shut off.

-

_ "Keep moving!" _

_ A harsh push was placed on your back. Your face met the ground and you felt a rock cut your cheek. _

_ "Damn, you're slow! Pick it up!" _

_ You nodded and stood up. You were almost 16 years old and you let these adults bully you? It made you feel pathetic. At least you weren't the adult that never left her bully phase. _

_ "What did you say, Pots Jr.? Repeat it!" _

_ The scene shifted. You were indoors. The angry face of a woman stared at you threateningly. She was much taller and stronger. She grabbed your wrist. It hurt. _

_ "Leave it alone! You've done enough damage!" _

_ Another voice. You looked to her side. Another girl. Your attacker turned around and snarled at the girl. _

_ "Don't boss me around! This little thing thought that they could insult me! You think you're better than me  _ **_don't you?_ ** _ " _

_ She screamed in your face. Spit sprayed on your cheeks. You felt like crying. You should've never opened your mouth. You should've stayed quiet. _

_ The scene changed again. You were at home in the shop. She yelled at your caretaker. She might not have been your mother, but you felt like she should've been. You needed to protect her. You stood up for her. Was that so wrong? _

_ "Shut up kid, this doesn't involve you!" _

_ You lashed out. You knew you shouldn't have. You kicked her. She howled and hopped out of the store. You felt satisfied. But she never forgot you. _

_ "Don't mess with me you little bastard!" _

_ How could you protect yourself from her? She was faster and stronger. You could see her smiling face as she hit you. You begged for it to stop. _

_ And then her face changed. _

_ You squirmed away in terror. Her face melted like a candle and refroze into a new shape. Her eyes were white. Her hair was short and dark. Her clothes changed. You screamed. _

_ Herobrine chased after you. You needed to get away. You felt a searing heat behind you. Fire surrounded him. A horrifying smile was stuck to his face. His eyes glowed intensely. _

_ You were scared. _

_ Your arms shot up to protect yourself. You felt fire blast on your body. You felt yourself melt like her face. It felt like you were dying. _

_ "Please make it stop! I thought we were friends!" _

_ You barely recognized your own voice. The fire was ceaseless. You felt tears stream down your face. Your skin blackened and it crumbled like dust. You screamed. _

_ Then, it all went silent. The fire disappeared. All you could feel was pain. Everything was black. _

_ "Y/n." _

_ A soft voice spoke from the darkness. It sounded sweet and melodic. _

_ "Remember what you saw here." _

_ A light pierced your eyes before you could speak. _

_ How could you forget? _

**_How could you forget?_ **

-

You jolted and almost fell face forward in a pile of ash. Daylight shimmered on the ground and you could hear the shrill voice of birds. You covered your ears and felt your body shake.

'What the hell was that dream?' Your thoughts demanded.

You shook your head and wrapped your arms around yourself. You felt sweaty.

You heard a noise from beside you. You looked and saw Herobrine with his head tucked to his chest. He shifted and groaned and lifted his head to look at you. You stared blankly.

"Y/n?" He said groggily, "What time is it?"

You shrugged and looked away. You stared at the sky. The color above was warm. A blue center blended with pinks and oranges. It was dawn.

You stared at the sky as it turned from mostly pink to mostly blue. You felt a nudge on your shoulder.

"Y/n? Is everything okay?" Herobrine asked.

You turned towards him. You looked to the ground and shook your head slightly. Herobrine sighed and placed his hand on your shoulder.

"Can I…do anything to help?"

You looked into his eyes. You saw the concern on his face. His eyebrows were knitted and his eyes were dim. A ghostly pale trail of light streamed from his eyes. You wondered what that trail even was. You reached out and touched his face, finger poking one of his freckles. He blinked in confusion.

"I had a bad dream." You said simply.

He put his hand on yours. You could feel his slow heartbeat through his palm. He sighed and rubbed your shoulder with his free hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Kinda." You said softly.

"Was I in it?"

"Yeah…"

"Did I do something shitty?"

"Yeah…"

You felt nervous when you looked at his face change. His curious and concerned expression turned into a sad one. You didn't know how he was feeling, but you felt bad.

"It's not your fault, you know. It's just a dream." You said.

"A dream that upset you." Herobrine retorted.

You looked down and tried to pull your hand away. Herobrine held it firm.

"If I hurt you in your dreams or something, please don't worry about that in real life. I wouldn't...do that." Herobrine said.

You looked back at him and nodded. You knew he wouldn't, but the dream you had made you worry. The look on his face was terrifying and the way he smiled at you…

But when you looked at the real Herobrine, all you saw was an awkward man with a criminal record. He had no scary smile, no evil intentions, and a whole list of life regrets. You felt better knowing that Herobrine was harmless around you, but he still did horrible things. You worried that the second you turned your head, he would revert back into a monster.

'No, I can't think like that. I have to focus on the good right now...Herobrine wants to be better right? The dream...it has to mean nothing…'

You looked into Herobrine’s eyes and he smiled.

'It has to mean nothing. Sure he may have hurt people but...he wants to change.'

You thought back when you talked to him in the forest.

_ No! It's my self defense. _

'He doesn't want to hurt. If what he said is true, then...people are just cruel and he's just...defending himself.'

It didn't surprise you. Even some of the people in your small village were assholes. It wouldn't be surprising for someone like Herobrine to be rebuked by them. With his white eyes, any number of elders and priests and townsfolk could find him ghastly.

'That, and he also has godly powers.'

You held Herobrine’s gaze. Your hand was still on his face. You could see the hint of a blush on his cheeks. You wondered if it was an embarrassing position. You gently pulled your hand away and gave him a small smile.

"I know you wouldn't hurt me...I just...worry." you said.

"Worry about what?" Herobrine asked.

"About you, I guess. I know that some people aren't the best and I'm just scared that...you'll...hurt someone by accident…"

"That makes both of us."

He smiled and you smiled back. You scooted over and hugged him. He leaned into you and wrapped both arms around your shoulders. You sighed and pulled away. You stood up and made your way back to the tent.

"So what's the plan now?" Herobrine asked, standing up.

You picked up your bag and slung it over your shoulder. You turned to Herobrine.

"I'd like to finish our little road trip if that's okay." You said.

Herobrine smiled and nodded, picking up his own bag. You looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Then after...you said you knew where Steve is?" You asked.

"Yeah." Herobrine said, nodding.

"Could we...meet up with him?"

Herobrine paused. He fiddled with the strap of his bag. He looked at you and smiled.

"Sure. We can see him." He said at last.

You smiled and walked over to him. You nudged his hand with yours.

"I know it's weird, I'm sorry...I just miss the guy. We still gotta go to Sky City together." You said.

"And...me too?" He asked with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, you too."


	21. Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you like different perspectives, yeh?

"It is time."

Nimble hands worked against the soft clay. Calloused fingers pressed delicate shapes with soft edges. A round face with a button nose and hair made of gold lace.

A hard, smooth sheet of marble skin was placed over the still-wet clay. From the back, two wings were crafted, larger than the body they sprouted from.

A heart. It beat and pulsed with its artificial life. It was made of the strongest iron and filled with purpose. The eyes of its soft face opened and shined with nobility. The red flare of fire colored its irises and covered its face with a rosy flush. Its own strong hands touched and stroked its perfect body.

"The first of many."

The small head looked to the titan that created it and bowed. Its hair fell gracefully like a scarf around its shoulders.

"I give you strong magic. It is imperative that you succeed."

The small being flapped its wings. They fluttered and quivered.

"What is my purpose, lord?"

Its voice was bold and resounding. A pink tongue carried the strings of sound to its perfect pearly teeth. Face muscles felt foreign and unusual to flex.

"You are the Catalyst. You seek one and only one."

The giant hands brought a finger to the small being's face. A pool of white light circled into a glass sphere on the pad of the index finger. Holding out its tiny hands, the creation took the lightweight ball.

It was filled with a haze that looked like fog. From the haze two figures emerged. The small being stared at the image of you and Herobrine strolling along in a forest. You were both soundlessly laughing and talking.

It touched the glass ball and cracks formed around your face. The fog swept away the image and the glass shattered completely in the grasp of the small being. Tiny shards the size of sand coated its feet.

"You will not fail me, Catalyst?"

The small angel was silent before bowing again towards the God.

"I will not."


	22. Yellow Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, I love conflict!

The sun was warm and glaring. A gushing river was before you as Herobrine approached behind you from the thick forest.

"It's pretty." You said.

Herobrine nodded and took out his map. He traced something on it and looked up from it.

"The river here is approximately 100 meters long and meets with a desert. I can't tell you how big the desert is, though." Herobrine said.

You nodded and readjusted your bag. You stepped carefully onto the hill that curved downwards towards the water. Your boots squished in watery mud, making you cringe. Herobrine followed next to you.

The two of you followed the flowing water around the outskirts of the forest you left. It eventually curved and cut through the middle of a plain. You bounced up to the hilly plain, trying to shake off any remaining mud that stuck to your boots. Herobrine trudged upwards, slipping on the wet grass and tripping over his own lanky limbs. You waited for him at the top, trying not to laugh at his struggle. He stuck his tongue out at you as he finally climbed up. You smiled.

"Shut up." Herobrine grumbled.

"I have said nothing." You said, trying to hide your smile.

Herobrine huffed and went ahead of you, leaving you to try and catch up to him and his long strides. You felt the contents of your bag hit your hip as you jogged. An unusually hard, unidentifiable fruit clunked against you and you slowed down.

"Herobrine, wait up!" You called.

Herobrine looked over his shoulder and slightly slowed down as you caught up with him.

"I'm shorter than you, you jerk!" You said while huffing.

"Yes, I know." Herobrine said with a smirk.

You stuck your tongue out and he laughed. You tried to scowl at him but you couldn't help but laugh, too. He put his hand on your shoulder and pulled you next to him as you two walked. You couldn't help but get goosebumps where he touched you since his hand was very cold. You wondered how his temperature had even dropped at all during this warm afternoon. It seemed unusual and strange though you tried to not question it too much because, hey, it  _ is  _ Herobrine we're talking about here. The same thing happened the other night when you both slept around the fire. His skin had been terribly cold, but you guessed you were too tired to care at the time. Besides, it was very nice next to the hot fire…

You shook your head and walked ahead of him. You two kept in silence until the river took another turn. The grass of the plain faded into sandy dirt until it stopped at a desert. You stepped onto the sand and your feet sunk into it. You tripped as the softness of the ground took you off guard. Herobrine came from behind you and placed his hands on your shoulders.

"You alright there?" He asked, smiling.

You grinned at him and pulled from his hands, bending down and scooping up a handful of sand before playfully throwing it at him. He blinked in surprise as the sand ball hit him square in the chest. You laughed as his face turned from surprise to a grimace as the soft sand slid from his shirt.

"Come on! this was a clean shirt!" Herobrine whined.

"Oh, walk it off. It's  _ sand _ ." You said with a grin.

Herobrine stuck his tongue out and pulled off his bag, swinging it into the ground and shooting a small wave of sand at your legs.

"Hey watch it, man! These are  _ your  _ pants, remember?" You laughed.

Herobrine grinned and laughed with you, pulling the bag back over his shoulder. You spat out a rogue grain of sand and turned, trudging through the soft mounds.

"Y/n! Where are you going?" Herobrine called.

"Into the desert, duh!" You called back.

Herobrine jogged over to you with the map in his hand. You slowed down.

"We can head back now if you want. We've made it to the desert." Herobrine said.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that." You said.

"I mean, we can explore if you want."

"I kind of do? I just liked walking with you."

Herobrine looked away from you. You tried to follow and see his face but he snapped back. His cheeks were dusted pink.

"I do, too. Walking, I mean. With you."

You smiled and patted his arm.

"Since you've mentioned it, though, we should probably head back before we do more than we can handle."

Herobrine nodded and patted your hand with his.

"Yeah. And get to Sky City, too, right?"

You sighed and smiled.

"Yeah, of course."

Herobrine gave an awkward smile as you two just stood there in the sand, the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. You noticed the sky darkening.

"We should set up camp and head back tomorrow." You said.

Herobrine nodded in agreement and took off his bag. He took out the tent and you searched the area for dry wood. You picked a couple of dead bushes from the sand and piled them on top of each other. You ripped off two twigs from a bush and rubbed them together. They were too fragile and snapped in half easily. You threw them into the pile and tried another two twigs.

"You alright over there?" Herobrine asked.

The tent was already set up and the moon peeked over the dunes. You groaned in frustration and gestured vaguely to the small fireplace. Herobrine walked over to you.

"Can't make a fire?" Herobrine asked.

"No, I don't really know how without flint and steel on hand." You muttered.

Herobrine reached out for the bushes and you instinctively grabbed his hand.

"Don't." You said.

Herobrine flinched at your voice and patted your hand with his.

"I'm not going to. I promise." He said.

You carefully let go and he grabbed two of the bushes whole. He snapped off all the twigs from one, leaving the main trunk exposed. He took the other bush and pushed the other trunk on it and twisted repeatedly. You saw a small trail of smoke emit from the tinder. Herobrine leaned down and blew gently and a small fire began to form.

You watched as he carefully tended to the flame. It soon started to take over the rest of the bushes. You felt the warmth wash over you as the fire grew bigger. Silence grew and you felt sweat on your palms.

"Thank you." You said quietly.

"Yeah. Of course." Herobrine replied.

The moon slowly rose above you. It was full and bright. You watched it crawl against the sky. Silence grew between you and Herobrine, but it wasn't uncomfortable. You just let the air be still as you watched the night sky. Stars flickered into view as you let out a yawn.

"Tired?" Herobrine asked.

You nodded. The warm fire was cozy and the night sky was so mesmerizing, you couldn't help but feel lulled into sleep. You scooted closer to Herobrine and put your head on his shoulder, letting out another yawn.

The sky started to fill with bright stars. There wasn't a single cloud and you could see the moon so clearly. A comet shot across your vision. You didn't have any wishes, so you let it go.

Silence filled the area. You looked over to Herobrine's face and saw his closed eyes. His chest rose and fell steadily. You snuggled closer to his body as the fire crackled.

Everything was so peaceful.

You settled yourself on Herobrine. You let out another yawn and closed your eyes. You would've fallen asleep if it wasn't for the loud buzzing that filled your ears.

It was high-pitched and came from behind you. Your hand shot up from your side and scratched the back of your head. A splitting headache shot through. You gritted your teeth and clutched onto Herobrine's shirt sleeve.

"What the hell  _ is  _ that?"

Herobrine's voice cut through the buzzing. You looked over at him and saw the surprise on his face. You turned your head to where he looked.

A small yellow dot in the sky glowed ominously. It was bigger than the far away stars and had a shine much brighter. It kept getting bigger and you realized it wasn't part of the sky. What looked like a planet hurdled towards you, sparkling and glowing a bright yellow.

You sat up straight as the object approached. It came at you at such an alarming speed that you feared it would hit you. You threw your arms up and felt a horribly strong wind throw waves of sand at you. The sand scraped against your arms and left a slight stinging sensation, but you never felt anything hit you.

You cautiously lowered your arms.

A tall figure stood before you. Its skin was as pale as marble and it emitted a strong light like a beacon. Its long hair flowed softly like silk. Its eyes pierced through you like a spear. You felt exposed, even in the baggy clothes you wore. It looked at you expectantly, but you couldn't find any words. Your mind had gone blank at the sight of the gorgeous body.

"Who the hell are you?"

Herobrine's voice was harsh. His face showed nothing other than annoyance. You wondered how he could keep his composure in front of the angelic figure.

Its voice spoke at once.

"I am the Catalyst."

The sound of its voice was a mixture of the buzzing you heard earlier and an actual human. It was strong and filled your head with static.

"Why are you here?"

Herobrine spoke back to it as he reached for your arm. His fingers glided against you and you shook from your daze. You instinctively reached for him.

The angel glanced to you and Herobrine. Its red eyes seemed to hesitate leaving your face. Its hand reached for the belt it wore. It drew a small silver stick from a thin sheath and pointed it at Herobrine.

"I have come for you, young God."

It flicked its wrist and the stick turned into a thin sword. Herobrine squeezed your hand.

"You will come with me."


	23. One Fight To Begin Many

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to write intense fight scenes, so enjoy my attempt

'We should've brought weapons.'

The thought raced through your mind as the scene unfolded before you. The angel in front of you had drawn a blade from its belt, pointing it at Herobrine. You could feel the sweat on his palms as he squeezed your hand.

'We should've brought weapons.'

The back of your neck felt cold. Your throat felt tight and words refused to make their way to your tongue. The silver sword was sharp and the angel swung it with grace and ease. It was skilled. Herobrine cleared his throat and held your hand close.

"Why me?"

His voice gave away his nervousness. His eyes flickered. You tried to calm the rapid heartbeat in your chest.

'We should've brought weapons.'

It was all you could think. The one thing you didn't prepare for. It was just going to be a road trip. A small adventure before reuniting with Steve. Just a road trip.

You prayed silently that the angel wouldn't kill anyone.

"You, young God, belong back in your home dimension to be completed. You will come with me."

Confusion mingled with the emotions in your head. The air around you was still and silent. Herobrine made no move towards the angel and held onto you unwaveringly. The angel stared at you.

"I do not wish to fight. I will, however, use force if you refuse to come with me."

The angel sounded hostile. It stood still, the needle like blade still pointed at Herobrine.

Herobrine seemed stuck in place. His face had gone noticeably paler. His hands shook slightly as he tried not to look at the angel directly. He seemed at a loss for words.

You cleared your throat loudly.

"He's not going anywhere."

Your voice wasn't as strong as you wanted it to be, but it got the entity's attention. The deep red eyes of the angel stared at you intensely. It shook you, but you swallowed the feeling. You didn't entirely understand what was happening, but if Herobrine was scared, then you were going to step up.

"You do not get to speak in his place, mortal."

The anger that radiated from the sentence made your cheeks heat up. The tiny hairs on your arms and legs stood up and you felt your hands shake like Herobrine's.

"He's not going...anywhere."

It was all you could do to repeat what you already said. You felt crushed underneath the stare of the angel. The sword swung to you. You swallowed air.

"If you choose to be an obstacle, then I will destroy you."

Time had seemed to slow down before, every second feeling like an hour. In the blink of an eye, that changed. The sword was swung with incredible speed. You flinched as it moved away from you, but you didn't even react as it quickly slashed at you.

Your heart jumped in your throat as pain crossed you. Your brain froze as blood bloomed on your arm. It was wet and warm. You jumped back, the pain searing through you. You saw your own blood dribble off of the angels blade before it struck again. Your hand slipped from Herobrine's grasp as you covered your face.

You expected another blow, but you didn't feel any pain. You uncovered your face. You looked up to see Herobrine standing in front of you, blocking the angel's sword with his hand. Blood was dripping from his palm. It was red.

Herobrine pushed the blade back and the angel retreated the weapon. Surprise was written on its face as it watched the blood seep from the gash in Herobrine's hand.

"Young God! I must ask you to let me do my job!"

The angel sounded surprised and pissed off at the same time. It reached a hand out and attempted to move Herobrine, but he swatted it away harshly.

Fire erupted from his palms, even the injured one. He swung his arm and a fireball shot at the angel. It took the entity by surprise when it landed on its chest, knocking it back.

Your eyes were fixated on Herobrine's back. You couldn't see his face, but he was taking rapid breaths. He kicked off towards the angel, leaving you sitting on the sand. You watched as he threw a fire-fisted punch at the angel, who was trying to recover from the fireball.

You held your bleeding arm as flashes of red fire mingled with the glint of silver. The angel fought back, slicing at Herobrine's arms and face. Shallow gashes appeared on his cheeks. His eyes flared as bright as the moon above. His hands and arms swung with intensity. The angel tried to fly around him to gain an advantage, but Herobrine grabbed its legs and yanked it down.

It was both terrifying and fascinating to watch. You held your breath everytime Herobrine sustained an injury. Your legs felt like jelly and you felt useless in this situation.

'We should've brought weapons.'

You felt unsteady watching a fight with no weapon. You wanted to help Herobrine.

You got on your knees and crawled your way to the bags you left near the fireplace. They were close, fortunately, but you brought yourself closer to the fight.

You shuffled in your bags until you held a firm enough fruit. You heard Herobrine grunt as he, presumably, suffered more gashes. You tried to make yourself small as you aimed at the two of them. They circled each other, Herobrine trying to beat back the angel and the angel defending itself. It was difficult to find an opening.

The angel then stumbled just a bit. It was enough. You threw the fruit with all the force you could muster. It hit it on the cheek. It turned towards you and you regretted pitching in. It swung at Herobrine with a force and flew past him as it landed. It came straight for you. You dug for another fruit, but the angel tackled you. The thin sword was pressed to your neck. You tried to push it back with your hands, but all you could reach was the blade itself. As you pushed, the silver dug deeper into your skin. You tried to keep it off of your throat. The angel kept resisting you. Your teeth gritted as the angel squeezed your shoulder painfully with its free hand. It ripped the sword away from you, slicing your hands deeper before swinging once again, bypassing your hands and aiming for the neck. You tried to turn away, causing the sword to slice at your shoulder instead. Its foot raised and stomped on your chest. You choked as it raised the sword again. You scratched at its ankles, but it was useless.

A voice rose above the two of you.

"Catalyst,  _ stop! _ "

Herobrine yelled at the angel that was about to end your life. Its head turned towards him, arm still in position to cut you down.

"You don't know what you're doing! Just stop!"

Herobrine's face was panicked. He kneeled in the sand with his profusely bleeding leg. His eyes were bright.

The angel stepped off of you slightly. You took in a deep breath as you felt your ribs unbend. The Catalyst was completely focused on Herobrine.

"And what exactly would I not understand, young God?"

Its voice still dripped with hostility. Its foot was still ready to squeeze you of air. You prayed that Herobrine knew what he was doing. Herobrine took a shaky breath and you could feel his nerves vibrating from where you were.

"Spawn. They're Spawn."

Silence filled the night air. The angel lifted its foot off of you completely. You sat up quickly, holding your shirt to your wounds. The angel sheathed its weapon as you sat in confusion.

'A Spawn? I'm not a Spawn. What the hell is he talking about?'

Your thoughts exploded. The angel turned towards you. You stiffened.

"I was unaware. My apologies."

Its voice was dry and unapologetic. You felt anger creep at your throat, but you kept it down.

"This fighting was all unnecessary. Young God, come with me to the Aether. The Gods demand you there."

Herobrine sighed in frustration as the angel approached him. It held its hand out, grabbed Herobrine's, and pulled. Herobrine resisted as the angel tried to force him to move.

"Young God. Do not be difficult."

Herobrine grabbed at its arms and pulled down, dragging the angel towards the ground. The angel yelled and tried to get up, but Herobrine forced its face into the sand. It reached for its sword blindly, but Herobrine restrained its arms and reached for his own pocket. He pulled a glass bottle out from his rear pocket and broke it over the angel's head. The Catalyst went limp.

You rose quickly from the ground. Herobrine struggled to lift himself. You put your arms under his and helped him up. His leg shook horribly as you dragged him from the limp angel. You set him against a dune as best as you could. Your injured arm stung and twitched.

"Are you okay, Herobrine?" You asked worriedly.

Herobrine smiled and patted your shoulder.

"I'll be fine. I brought some small potions with me." Herobrine said.

You sighed and sat down next to him. Herobrine reached into his pockets again and pulled out two small vials of a pink liquid. He handed one to you.

"It will help with recovery, but I don't have anything stronger, sorry." Herobrine said.

You took it and uncorked it, draining it in one shot. It tasted salty and had small particles swimming around in it.

"Thank you. Will it help with your leg, though?" You asked.

"Yes, just very slowly." Herobrine replied.

"Did you...kill The Catalyst?"

"No, sleeping. I hope it will last as long as we need it to. I really don't want to fight it again…"

You sighed as you watched the figure of The Catalyst facedown in the sand. Your chest twinged and you winced.

"Herobrine?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to see Steve."

Herobrine sighed and reached for your hand.

"Me too."


	24. Not Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof, not my best chapter, but this conversation needed to happen.

It still plagued your mind.

_ Spawn. They're Spawn. _

You weren't. You knew you weren't. You had parents and everything. Though your young memories were blurry, you knew you had parents. Even though they died, they had existed.

It seemed plausible that Herobrine just lied to get the angel off of you. For some reason, however, his words stuck to you.

_ They're Spawn. _

'I'm not. I'm really not.'

The moon made way for the sun. The sky blossomed with oranges and yellows and pinks and reds as the large star rose. It peeked through the trees you and Herobrine tried to make your way quickly through.

It wasn't the correct way back to Herobrine's den. You both had saw a roofed forest heading towards the general direction and decided that it was safer than the plains. It would take longer to get back, but you would be sheltered by the thick foliage.

Herobrine grunted painfully everytime he took a step on his bad leg. He moved as quickly as he could with the small potion in his system and the blood soaking his pants. You gave him extra help to walk, but it slowed the party down.

'Just a road trip. It was just a road trip.'

The ground was squishy with fungi. Giant and small mushrooms alike grew around you. It was darker than most forests, but you knew that mobs would stay away. Even still, the distant sounds of groaning zombies and rattling skeletons kept you on edge.

_ They're Spawn. _

'Stop thinking of that already! Focus!'

You shook your head and pulled Herobrine closer to you. The height difference was awkward, but you made it work. You held him up more by his torso than arms, but it helped him so you kept doing it.

'Should I ask? Would it be a good time?'

You agonized over the thought. Herobrine grunted as he stumbled. You pulled him up. You shook your head.

'No. Just focus. Get back to the den.'

The roofed forest was a small biome. It ended on the edge of a birch forest. The biome didn't have as much shade as the roofed forest, but if you strayed much more from the path then you would never find the den.

You curved the path you and Herobrine walked slightly. You headed towards the edge of the plains, hoping to see the forest you both started the journey in. You hoped that the angel hadn't woken up yet.

'Think positive! Just focus on Herobrine.'

You looked over to the man you held up. Herobrine had sweat coming down his face. His eyes were dimmer than usual and his skin looked pale. He looked tired.

You tightened your grip on him and kept moving. You had to be close. The sun rose higher and the sky faded to blue. The plains was bigger than you remembered. Your legs hurt from carrying Herobrine and walking for two people. You felt sweat build up on your forehead. Your injured arm twitched. You sighed uncomfortably.

'Come on. Keep going.'

You gritted your teeth and pulled Herobrine. You could see the edge of the plains in the distance. The river than ran through it stopped. You could see the forest. You sighed in relief.

Herobrine patted your shoulder. You looked up to see his face which gave away his pain.

"Could we...take a break for a little bit?" His voice pleaded.

You slowed down and nodded. The forest was so close, but Herobrine was more important. You helped him lay against a tree. You took a seat next to him.

A gentle breeze blew across your face. It cooled down your sweaty skin. You looked over to Herobrine. His was breathing slightly heavier and his skin was still pale. You looked down at his leg and saw the huge bloodstain on his pants.

You reached over and rolled up the cuff of his pants. The cut was large, but it wasn't actively bleeding. It went from his ankle and stopped just short of his knee. You winced as you saw it.

"Is it bad?"

Herobrine sounded worried. You rolled his pants back down and leaned back on the tree.

"It's not bleeding anymore, but it looks pretty angry."

Herobrine sighed in relief as you told him. You heard birds chirp as you both rested. It seemed so odd that you were both in danger and the birds still sang. You sighed and closed your eyes.

'Should I ask?'

The thought opened your eyes. Ask about what? Herobrine's comment to the angel? Why the angel was after Herobrine? Why the angel stopped trying to kill you?

You took a deep breath. You didn't want to wait until you reached the den for your questions to be answered. You looked over to Herobrine. He was staring into space, breathing a bit more gently than before.

"Hey, Herobrine?"

He looked over to you as you spoke. Silence passed over you as he waited.

"Can I ask you something? Or a bunch of things?"

Herobrine nodded and you sighed. You collected your thoughts as you decided what to ask.

"First of all, what did the angel want from you? I mean, I know it was trying to get you to follow it, but...why?"

Herobrine sighed as you finished. He readjusted himself and cleared his throat.

"The angel was...trying to get me back to the Aether so I could be, uh…'completed'."

As he spoke, he used air quotes.

"It's kind of...complicated, I guess...the best way to explain it is that I am...a kind of uncompleted project?"

Your eyebrows raised as he spoke. Herobrine continued.

"I was built by The God of Creation. Most things are. I don't know the specifics, but I do know that I didn't like where I was. So I left. The thing is, I didn't know what to do with myself...I still don't know what I was made for…"

He looked to the ground.

"I mean, this place is nice. I started exploring and I really enjoyed being around stuff like plants and animals...I didn't really know why I was made and at this point I don't care to know. In fact, I got kind of scared when...when the Catalyst mentioned the Aether."

Herobrine sighed. He looked back to you. You felt uncomfortable with his gaze and looked away.

"Alright, well, why did the angel stop trying to kill me?"

As you asked your question, Herobrine raised an eyebrow. His face fell into confusion.

"What do you mean? It stopped trying to kill you because you're Spawn. I figured that, since the angel came from the Aether, it might not want to kill The God of Creation's work."

You blinked in confusion.

"No, dude, I'm not a Spawn. Not even close. That's what I mean. I get it if you lied to save me and I super appreciate that, but it just didn't sit with me well."

Herobrine's face scrunched. He looked at you strangely. You figured you might've given him an equally strange look as well. And awkward silence fell over you two until Herobrine spoke.

"But...you  _ are  _ Spawn…"

You blinked again, staring at Herobrine incredulously.

"I'm actually not. I have parents."

Herobrine's eyes widened.

"Parents? No. You have to be adopted, right? You know that, right?"

"Herobrine, for the last time, I'm not Spawn! I have parents! Biological ones!"

Herobrine looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face. You turned your head to see him better, putting your hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"That doesn't make sense. Are you  _ sure  _ you have parents?"

His question took you off guard. You shook your head.

" _ Yes. _ Dude, why are you so convinced I'm a Spawn?"

He looked back at you. He reached over and poked your stomach. You raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have a belly button?"

You sighed in annoyance. You lifted your shirt slightly.

"Yeah, you don't have one! Look."

You looked down and rolled your eyes. Your stomach was smooth. No sign of a belly button. You sighed.

"It's a birth defect. Happens all the time. It means nothing."

You pulled your shirt down and crossed your arms. Herobrine squinted at you.

" _ Birth defect? _ Seriously? You actually believe that?"

You huffed and nodded.

"Uh, yeah? A doctor told me himself! I didn't grow up around a bunch of liars!"

Herobrine stared at you with his brow furrowed. You looked back at him. Herobrine was quiet. You felt like you won the discussion until he spoke again.

"...what else did people tell you?"

You blinked and stared at him. His eyes were unblinking and bright. You thought for a moment. You sighed.

"Listen, dude, I wasn't surrounded by people telling me about who I was because I already  _ knew _ . I was born to two parents, but they died shortly after. I was then taken care of a lady from another village when she found me looking for help. The rest is history."

Herobrine stared at you in disbelief. He crossed his arms.

"Y/n...that story has so many holes in it. You're saying it's all true?"

You nodded.

"Of course. It's the only story I  _ have _ ."

Herobrine sat back further and looked away. You watched him turn as you sat silently. A quiet air washed over you both. You took a deep breath.

"Okay. So maybe I don't remember my parents. But my caretaker  _ did _ . She told me that she knew my parents. She told me they were dead. She took care of me. I trust her with my life."

Herobrine turned over and looked at you. You stared back as he pointed towards your stomach.

"You were lied to. Belly buttons don't just  _ disappear _ ."

You squinted angrily. You pushed his hand away.

"So you're trying to tell me that the woman who raised me, fed me, clothed me, and  _ loved _ me was a  _ liar _ ?"

Herobrine looked away and nodded. Your eyes widened. Herobrine sighed.

"I thought you already knew you were Spawn. I wouldn't have mentioned it at all if you weren't. I know you are. Spawns give off a certain... _ energy _ ...I guess you could say. Steve does and so does his sister, Alex. You do, too."

You looked away from him. It was ridiculous. You, a Spawn? No, surely not. Herobrine patted your arm. You looked up at him.

"Are you okay?"

His voice was genuine. It made your chest twist. He was sharing his  _ honest _ opinion and thoughts. You shook your head.

"No. I'm...I'm not a Spawn."

Even as you said it, your voice betrayed the feelings of uncertainty you had. You swallowed hard. Your palms and forehead were sweaty. You leaned forward and Herobrine pulled you into a hug. You melted into his arms.

You just wanted to hide your face. You were scared that he could tell you were nervous.

'Am I a Spawn?'

Your hand trailed down towards your belly. You felt the smoothness of your skin through the shirt. You never even thought of your own body like that. It wasn't noteworthy, it wasn't  _ important _ . Yet it was always there.

You squeezed your eyes shut.

_ 'I'm not ready for this.' _


End file.
